The Villanova Program at State Correctional Institution Phoenix (SCI Phoenix) is one of the oldest continuously running degree-granting prison education programs in the United States.

Eligible individuals have a chance to attain a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies, gaining the same critical thinking, life-long learning and moral reflection skills that are hallmarks of a traditional, on-campus Villanova education.

The program has a transformative impact on the students it serves. Alumni who return to their families and communities often flourish—obtaining jobs and using their education to give back to the community. In addition to low recidivism, Villanova researchers and professors at SCI Phoenix cite community building, social capital and political participation as additional benefits of the program, allowing alumni to develop relationships and become engaged democratic citizens—whether they remain incarcerated or re-enter society.