Alliance for Higher Education in Prison

What Alliance for Higher Education in Prison does

The Alliance for Higher Education in Prison is a Denver-based national nonprofit (501(c)(3) since May 1, 2024) that serves as the primary field infrastructure organization for higher education in prison (HEP) programs in the United States. Its portfolio spans two anchor annual conferences — the National Conference on Higher Education in Prison (NCHEP) and the Incarcerated Scholars Conference (ISC) — alongside the peer-reviewed Journal of Higher Education in Prison (JHEP), a National Directory of HEP Programs, an Annual Survey of the field, the Education in Action work-based learning initiative, the Prison Education Book Connection, and authoritative publications such as the Lumina Foundation-funded "Equity and Excellence in Practice" guide. The organization does not sell software or operate proprietary technology; it functions as a convening body, resource hub, and network coordinator, distributing resources through higheredinprison.org, nationaldirectoryhep.org, a monthly newsletter, a Prison Education Listserv, social channels, and in-person convenings.

The Alliance is funded primarily by foundation grants — including Anchor commitments from the Mellon Foundation (over $5 million announced in 2023), Ascendium Education Group, Lumina Foundation, and ECMC Foundation, alongside 13+ additional foundation funders — supplemented by individual donations and conference registration fees. Services, resources, and publications are provided free of charge to the HEP community. The organization is governed by a 13-member Board of Directors, led by President Courtney Price and Vice President Curtis Gardner, and operates with a 7-person professional staff headed by Executive Director Ved Price. Strategic planning was initiated in 2015 and the Founding Advisory Board was seated in January 2017; the Alliance took over hosting of NCHEP in 2017 and transitioned from fiscal sponsorship by Community Partners to independent nonprofit status on May 1, 2024.

The Alliance's primary customer segments are practitioners and programs in higher education in prison (teachers, administrators, and staff), currently and formerly incarcerated individuals seeking access to higher education, funders and policy makers supporting HEP expansion, and academic researchers in the field. It addresses field-level pain points including lack of oversight and accountability within prison settings, material scarcity for incarcerated students, professional isolation among practitioners, and the absence of standardized guidance for high-quality program design. Notable partner organizations contributing to Alliance resources include Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison, Mount Tamalpais College, Saint Louis University Prison Education Program, Tennessee Higher Education in Prison Initiative, University of Utah Prison Education Project, and Freedom Education Project Puget Sound.

Name

Alliance for Higher Education in Prison

Legal name

Alliance for Higher Education in Prison

Website

https://higheredinprison.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Alliance for Higher Education in Prison is a Denver-based national nonprofit that serves as the primary field infrastructure organization for higher education in prison in the United States, convening practitioners, currently and formerly incarcerated students, funders, and researchers through conferences, publications, a national directory, and field research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Advocacy and Field Convening

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Correctional Education Programs (Community College-Delivered) (EDAHADAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Juvenile Justice Education Programs (Detention & Correctional Education) (EDAJAEAB), Corrections & Reentry Adult Literacy (Justice-Involved Learners) (EDAAAAAL)

Keywords

• Higher education in prison
• Prison education programs
• Academic field convening
• Nonprofit education advocacy
• Correctional higher education

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants: As an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization as of May 1, 2024, the Alliance is funded primarily by foundations and supplemented by contributions from individual donors. They list major funders including Ascendium Education Group, Mellon Foundation, Lumina Foundation, ECMC Foundation, and others.
2. Individual Donations: The Alliance receives supplemental funding from individual donors and is in the process of building their individual donor base and exploring community-centric fundraising models.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Alliance for Higher Education in Prison is a national nonprofit coalition and resource hub that convenes, supports, and builds infrastructure for the higher education in prison field. It operates annual conferences (NCHEP and ISC), publishes the Journal of Higher Education in Prison and field guides, maintains a National Directory and Annual Survey of programs, and runs practitioner-focused initiatives such as Education in Action, the Prison Education Book Connection, the Cohort Program, Community Conversations, and Statewide Convenings.

Product overview

The Alliance for Higher Education in Prison is a national coalition and resource hub that does not sell a software product but rather provides a portfolio of programs, events, publications, and resources for the higher education in prison field. Its core offerings include two major annual conferences (NCHEP and ISC), the Journal of Higher Education in Prison (JHEP), the National Directory of HEP Programs, the Annual Survey, and practical programs like Education in Action and the Prison Education Book Connection. The Alliance also publishes authoritative guides such as 'Equity and Excellence in Practice' and facilitates professional development through the Cohort Program and Community Conversations. The organization serves as infrastructure for the field rather than as a product-based company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• National Conference on Higher Education in Prison (NCHEP) Annual flagship conference providing opportunity for the higher education in prison community to gather, share knowledge, and mobilize resources to expand access to quality higher education for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people.
• Incarcerated Scholars Conference (ISC) Virtual conference centering voices of currently incarcerated scholars, graduates, and artists, providing a platform for their perspectives and creative work.
• Journal of Higher Education in Prison (JHEP) Peer-reviewed academic journal dedicated to scholarship on higher education in prison, publishing research and analysis from practitioners and academics in the field.
• National Directory of Higher Education in Prison Programs Online searchable directory providing information about higher education in prison programs across the United States, enabling collaboration and co-learning among programs, practitioners, students, and teachers.
• Annual Survey Annual data collection effort that surveys all existing higher education in prison programs to track the national landscape and generate insights for the field.
• Education in Action (EiA) Initiative providing work-based learning and employment opportunities for incarcerated students, supporting practical skill development alongside academic education.
• Prison Education Book Connection Program that provides free textbooks for incarcerated students in Fall courses, addressing material scarcity in prison education settings.
• Equity and Excellence in Practice: A Guide for Higher Education in Prison Comprehensive guide outlining key characteristics of high-quality prison higher education programs, covering program design, partnerships, faculty recruitment, curriculum, pedagogy, instructional resources, and academic support services.
• Cohort Program Professional development cohort supporting practitioners in the higher education in prison field through collaborative learning and networking.
• Statewide Convenings Regional gatherings bringing together higher education in prison stakeholders within specific states to address localized needs and build state-level networks.
• Community Conversations Virtual discussion sessions hosted by Alliance staff providing space for the higher education in prison community to convene, share resources, and address pressing topics in the field.
• Higher Education in Prison Reading Project Common reading series inviting programs to read along together, featuring free book copies, discussion guides, and resource packets for participating organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• First NCHEP in 2010 had 75 attendees; conference has grown to hundreds of participants annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered conference host partner, program partner, strategic partner, founding partner, consultant and partner.

• SUNY Ulster Community Collegeconference host partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 October 2026Host venue for SUNY OHEP Teaching in Prison Conference 2026 at Stone Ridge, NY.
• DePaul Universityconference host partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 July 2026Co-hosting the Inside-Out Instructor Training Institute in Chicago, IL in July 2026.
• SUNY New Paltzprogram partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 September 2025Partner in initiative at Green Haven Correctional Facility allowing students to pursue bachelor's degrees in sociology.
• SUNY Office of Higher Education in Prisonprogram partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 June 2023Partner in initiatives expanding access to higher education at correctional facilities like Green Haven Correctional Facility.
• JFF Center for Justice and Economic Advancement (CJEA)strategic partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerCurrent funder and strategic partner. Co-hosts events like Fair Chance 101 and Fair Chance to Advance National Network Virtual Launch.
• Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prisonfounding partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder Sean Pica co-chaired the strategic planning process (2015-2016) that led to the Alliance's formation. Ongoing strategic partner.
• Saint Louis University Prison Education Programfounding partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder Mary Gould co-chaired the strategic planning process that led to the Alliance's formation.
• A4Abolitionist, LLCconsultantImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCurrent consultant supporting Alliance work.
• Blue Marble CreativeconsultantImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCurrent consultant supporting Alliance creative work.
• Speak CreativeconsultantImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCurrent consultant supporting Alliance.
• Resource Community for Higher Education in Prison (RCHEP)partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerResource Community (RCHEP) is linked as a partner resource sharing network for the field.
• Hudson Linkprogram partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner with SUNY New Paltz and SUNY Office of Higher Education in Prison in programs at Green Haven Correctional Facility.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• JFF (Jobs for the Future) - Center for Justice and Economic Advancement: Larger workforce and education intermediary with a justice-focused center that co-hosts events like Fair Chance 101 with the Alliance. Operates more broadly across workforce development but overlaps in justice-involved education.
• Inside-Out Center at Temple University: Originating hub for the Inside-Out Instructor Training model used widely in prison higher education. Adjacent operator in HEP pedagogy and training; relevant peer for instructional models referenced by Alliance programs.

Direct peers

• University of Utah Prison Education Project: University-based HEP program offering courses and degrees to incarcerated Utahns. Direct peer in academic prison education; Alliance resource contributor.
• Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison: Founder and strategic partner of the Alliance; provides college degree programs inside New York State prisons. Most direct peer — both operate in prison higher education, share co-founder Sean Pica, and collaborate programmatically.
• Mount Tamalpais College: An accredited Junior college delivering full BA-degree programs inside San Quentin and other California prisons. Comparable focus on in-prison higher education with national reputation; a current Alliance resource and publication contributor.
• Tennessee Higher Education in Prison Initiative (THEPI): Statewide HEP consortium offering associate and bachelor pathways across Tennessee prisons. Comparable mission and model; Alliance resource contributor.
• Freedom Education Project Puget Sound (FEPPS): Provides higher education programs inside Washington state prisons, including the women's facility at Monroe. Direct peer in prison-based degree delivery; an Alliance resource and publication contributor.
• SUNY Office of Higher Education in Prison (SUNY OHEP): Statewide HEP office coordinating SUNY prison education across New York. A direct HEP-system peer and a current program partner of the Alliance, including co-hosted conferences.
• Education Justice Project at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign: Founded NCHEP in 2010 and continues to operate one of the largest in-prison degree programs in the country. Direct peer in HEP convening, program operation, and publications; foundational to the field.
• Saint Louis University Prison Education Program: Founded by Mary Gould (Alliance co-founder) and is a leading college-in-prison program operating in Missouri. Direct peer in HEP delivery, research, and field leadership; member of the Alliance's founding governance.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/AllianceforHEP
• Xx.com/AllianceforHEP
• Facebookfacebook.com/AllianceforHEP
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/allianceforhep

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Alliance for Higher Education in Prison