Rhodes College launches full degree program for women in Henning prison

Rhodes College is expanding its educational reach beyond the campus walls and into the Women’s Therapeutic Residential Center in Henning, Tennessee. Starting this summer, incarcerated women at the low-security facility will be able to enroll in a full four-year Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies program.

The expansion is funded by a $500,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation. This new degree program will support the existing Liberal Arts in Prison initiative and facilitate the growth of educational offerings in the men’s facility at West Tennessee State Penitentiary. As of the spring of 2025, 92 women at the center had accumulated 765 Rhodes credits, with 32 having already earned certificates.

Dr. Stephen Haynes, a 30-year professor of religious studies and humanities at Rhodes, serves as the director of the program. He stated that the initiative began in the fall of 2016 as a Great Books Discussion Group involving about 25 women. Haynes noted that participants quickly requested a format that offered college credit. He cited data showing that individuals involved in higher education while in prison are 43% less likely to return to incarceration.

Jameshia Davis, an inmate serving a 24-year sentence for drug and firearm possession, completed the earlier certificate program and now tutors other women. Davis described her initial skepticism, comparing Rhodes College to Harvard. She now plans to continue her education toward a bachelor’s degree upon release. A parole hearing for Davis is scheduled for May.

Faculty members also report benefits from the program. Dr. Lori Garner, an English professor who has participated for about five years, said the students' diverse life experiences help her teach more effectively at Rhodes. She noted that the women bring fresh perspectives to stories she has taught for decades.

More than 70 Rhodes students have volunteered for the program, leading discussion groups and organizational activities. Seniors Sophie Stevenson and Laurel Phillips, who have been involved for two to three years, said they view the inmates as friends. They share personal updates regarding the women’s families, pets, and upcoming parole dates.

The program team travels from the statue of former president Charles Diehl on the Rhodes campus to the Henning facility weekly to teach the core curriculum. Haynes said the group expects about 45 women to graduate with liberal arts certificates by May. He added that sponsors are seeking donors to help sustain the program into the future.

The new degree program marks a shift from certificate-based study to a full academic credential. The initiative aims to provide a structured path for inmates to earn a four-year degree while in custody. The expansion includes plans to extend similar educational support to the men’s facility at the same penitentiary complex.