NPEP students toss their caps in the air following the 2023 commencement. Credit: Jim Daley
On Wednesday, sixteen Northwestern University students received their diplomas in a ceremony that featured author Ta-Nahesi Coates, Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton, Provost Kathleen Hagerty and others. The commencement, which had all the trappings and pomp of a typical graduationâcheering families, dignitaries in academic regalia, and a string quartetâwas unique in that it was held inside Stateville Correctional Center, a maximum security prison.
The sixteen graduates were the first cohort in Northwesternâs Prison Education Project, and upon crossing the stage, they became the first class to complete a four-year bachelorâs program from a top-tier university.