Muhlenberg Inside-Out Program Enhanced as Part of Federal Grant
August 6, 2024
Muhlenberg's Inside-Out initiative has been awarded approximately $1 million over five years to expand and diversify the College’s Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, an ongoing collaboration between Muhlenberg College and the Lehigh County Department of Corrections. It will also fund cooperative initiatives aimed at enhancing workforce preparedness for reentry.
The program, co-led by Muhlenberg Professor of Psychology Kate Richmond and Community Engagement Librarian Jess Denke, includes a college class held in the Lehigh County Jail and a collaborative community Think Tank. The program's mission is to leverage education as a tool to end mass incarceration and foster healthier communities within Allentown.
"Engaging with our local community is integral to the College’s mission," says Muhlenberg President Kathleen Harring. "The Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program is one of many ways we fulfill our civic responsibilities and our role as an anchor institution in the City of Allentown.”
Muhlenberg’s Community Engagement Librarian Jess Denke and Professor of Psychology Kate Richmond, who co-lead the College’s Inside-Out program, attended the press conference announcing the federal grant.
