Women’s College Partnership (WCP)

Women’s College Partnership (WCP) is a collaboration between Marian University and the University of Notre Dame that offers a liberal arts education at Indiana Women’s Prison. Notre Dame Programs for Education in Prison administers and supports the partnership, and Marian University confers degrees on participating students. WCP is a member of the Consortium for Liberal Arts in Prison, run by Bard Prison Initiative. 

WCP launched in January of 2019 and was the culmination of work begun in 2018 by the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI) in partnership with Marian University and staff at Indiana Women’s Prison. In July of 2022 BPI transferred the day-to-day partnership with Marian University to the University of Notre Dame. Notre Dame, working alongside Holy Cross College, has been providing a quality liberal arts education to incarcerated students since 2012 through the Moreau College Initiative at Westville Correctional Facility.

The inaugural WCP class included 16 students. Academic year 2023-2024 will see 40 students attending credit bearing courses towards their associate and bachelor’s degrees. College credits are conferred by Marian University. To date, 15 degrees have been earned by WCP students.  

Alumni and reentry support is also provided to WCP students. 

WCP Posters

FYS “On Campus and Behind Bars”
A Partnership in Prison Education