MCHEP Awarded $1 Million Grant
JACKSON, MS (January 30, 2026) - The Woodward Hines Education Foundation (WHEF) has received a $1 million grant from the Mellon Foundation to continue and expand the work of the Mississippi Consortium for Higher Education in Prison (MCHEP), a statewide collaborative that is housed at WHEF and dedicated to increasing access to high-quality postsecondary education for justice-impacted learners.
The three-year grant will support MCHEP’s efforts to strengthen collaboration among Mississippi’s community colleges, universities, state agencies, and reentry partners; expand academic and student support services in prison education programs; and build a sustainable infrastructure for higher education in prison across the state.
“Higher education in prison changes lives, families, and communities,” said Yolanda Houston, Director of the Mississippi Consortium for Higher Education in Prison. “This grant from the Mellon Foundation allows MCHEP to deepen coordination across institutions, strengthen program quality, and ensure incarcerated students in Mississippi have meaningful opportunities to pursue college credentials that support successful reentry.”
MCHEP brings together community colleges, four-year institutions, and nonprofit and state partners to deliver college-level instruction in Mississippi’s correctional facilities. Through shared standards, professional development, and coordinated planning, the consortium works to expand equitable access to postsecondary education while supporting institutions as federal Pell Grants become more widely available to incarcerated students.
“WHEF is proud to serve as the home for MCHEP and to steward this important funding from the Mellon Foundation,” said Jim McHale, President and CEO of the Woodward Hines Education Foundation. “This grant reinforces our shared belief that expanding access to postsecondary education, especially for justice-impacted individuals, is essential to strengthening Mississippi’s workforce, communities, and long-term economic vitality.”
The grant will also support academic and student success initiatives, including peer learning and faculty support, improved access to instructional resources, college and career advising, and planning and training to help institutions and correctional facilities better align policies and practices that support student success both during incarceration and after release.
Research consistently shows that participation in higher education programs significantly reduces recidivism and improves employment outcomes for formerly incarcerated individuals. According to national studies, incarcerated adults who participate in postsecondary education are substantially less likely to return to prison and more likely to contribute positively to their families and communities.
“What we are building through MCHEP is more than a collection of programs,” Houston added. “It is a coordinated, statewide system that values education as a pathway to dignity, opportunity, and long-term success—for individuals and for Mississippi as a whole.”
The Mellon Foundation grant builds on prior planning and implementation efforts and positions MCHEP to continue growing as a model for statewide collaboration in higher education in prison.
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About Woodward Hines Education Foundation
Since its inception, WHEF has worked to increase college access and entry for people in Mississippi and has expanded that work to support promising practices that lead to college persistence and completion. The foundation envisions a Mississippi where all people can access and secure the training and education beyond high school that will allow them to advance their quality of life, strengthen their communities, and contribute to a vibrant and prosperous future for the state. Learn more about WHEF by visiting www.woodwardhines.org
About the Mississippi Consortium for Higher Education in Prison (MCHEP)
The Mississippi Consortium for Higher Education in Prison is a statewide collaborative that works to expand, strengthen, and coordinate postsecondary education opportunities for incarcerated students across Mississippi. MCHEP brings together colleges, universities, nonprofit organizations, and state agencies to promote high-quality instruction, student support, and successful reentry.