ABOUT US

Mission and History

The Villanova Program at State Correctional Institution – Phoenix (SCI Phoenix) is one of the oldest continuously running degree-granting prison education programs in the US, and the University has emerged as a national leader in prison education as a result of its long-standing partnership with SCI Phoenix. Established in 1972 by former Villanova professor James McKenna, PhD, the program offers incarcerated people the opportunity to obtain a college degree. The program originally operated in State Correctional Institution – Graterford, which was closed in 2018 and replaced by SCI Phoenix—a 3,830-bed maximum security prison located in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania—where the program currently operates. The program is free to all students, made possible by Villanova University and the generosity of donors.

Villanova University’s long-term support of the program is rooted in its Augustinian Catholic values—truth, unity and love—and belief in the inherent worth and dignity of every individual. The program is a living embodiment of Villanova’s mission to serve others and strengthen its connection to the community.