AU hosting Correctional Education and Reentry Summit on Oct. 19

ASHLAND, Ohio – Ashland University is proud to host a Correctional Education and Reentry Summit, one of the first-of-its-kind events, to help educate leaders in the corrections field as well as the general public. The conference will take place Wednesday, Oct. 19, at the John C. Myers Convocation Center, with a series of events throughout the day from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

The summit’s goal is to discuss best practices of correctional education and how society can move towards incorporating reentry initiatives into post-secondary educational opportunities. It will bring together government officials, community organizations, businesses and leaders in higher education and the formerly incarcerated.

A broad range of speakers, panels and breakout sessions have been scheduled, including a keynote address from Stanley Andrisse, an endocrinologist who serves as a faculty member at Howard University College of Medicine and Georgetown Medical Center. His research focus is on diabetes and insulin resistant states. A formerly incarcerated individual, Andrisse is also the founding director of a nonprofit, “From Prison Cells to Ph.D.,” as he seeks to demonstrate that education is the key to redemption and transformation.

Also providing remarks will be Carlos Campo, president of Ashland University, and Aaron Kinzel, director of transition and alumni services for AU’s Correctional Education program. Kinzel spent nearly a decade incarcerated, but has made amends for his transgressions by humanizing correctional populations and helping those as they return to their community. He teaches and researches in the areas of education, corrections and public policy.

Topics for the panels and breakout sessions include “Transition Issues from the Correctional Perspective,” “How to Create a Prison Education Program” and “Why Should Businesses Hire Formerly Incarcerated Individuals.”

The cost for this conference is $60 for general admission and $40 for students or formerly incarcerated individuals (breakfast and lunch are provided). Registration is available here.

Ashland University is home to the longest continuously operating correctional education program in the U.S. Established in 1964 at the Ohio State Reformatory, AU now delivers a transformational education experience to more than 5,000 students within correctional facilities across 13 states and the District of Columbia.

Ashland University is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland, and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.