Education is the key to freedom, but a lot of incarcerated people never had the right opportunities, right teachers, etc. to find their potential. As an operations research analyst, I know the value of math - and how it can change lives.

What a great idea! I've taught introductory coding classes, and the feedback from compiling and/or executing code is the key to student learning. Thanks for helping provide access to coding and learning tools for all!

Please help us reach more incarcerated people who are ready to turn their lives around.

Help Bring Mathematics to Prison for Pi Day!

"From the age of seven I was in the foster care system. I moved through 31 foster homes, mental institutions and group homes. There was no stability in my life. Then I found math: a safe and constant thing for me to understand."

The Prison Mathematics Project (PMP) is a registered 501(c)(3) charity that pairs inmates with mentors chosen to support their particular mathematical interests. These “outside” connections help our participants form healthy relationships while still serving their sentences. Our mentors deliver encouragement and knowledge, suggest branches of mathematics that will lead to employment upon release, and instill in their incarcerated mentees a sense of belonging in a community far removed from gang life, crime and violence.

The PMP is staffed by volunteers, and we operate on a shoestring budget. Our biggest
cost is mailing. As most of our mentorships take place through snail mail, we strive to
make our program free for our participants. We also produce a newsletter twice a year
for our participants and run an annual Pi Day in prisons across the country—with pie to
encourage the bashful!

We are going into prisons in three different states, Washington, Michigan, and North Dakota, to get incarcerated people excited about studying mathematics. We are hoping to make these more regular events throughout the year and expand to other parts of the country 

Thank you for your help!

Help Bring Mathematics to Prison for Pi Day!

"From the age of seven I was in the foster care system. I moved through 31 foster homes, mental institutions and group homes. There was no stability in my life. Then I found math: a safe and constant thing for me to understand." 

The Prison Mathematics Project (PMP) is a registered 501(c)(3) charity that pairs inmates with mentors chosen to support their particular mathematical interests. These “outside” connections help our participants form healthy relationships while still serving their sentences. Our mentors deliver encouragement and knowledge, suggest branches of mathematics that will lead to employment upon release, and instill in their incarcerated mentees a sense of belonging in a community far removed from gang life, crime and violence.

The PMP is staffed by volunteers, and we operate on a shoestring budget. Our biggest
cost is mailing. As most of our mentorships take place through snail mail, we strive to
make our program free for our participants. We also produce a newsletter twice a year
for our participants and run an annual Pi Day in prisons across the country—with pie to
encourage the bashful! 

The program costs $60 per year for each participant, so a donation of just $5 per month allows one participant to complete our customized program for a year. 

Thank you for your help!


Help Reduce Recidivism Through Mathematics

We believe in the power of mathematics to foster personal growth, strengthen healthy self-identity, and support desistance from crime. We nurture this engagement through one-on-one mentorship, providing incarcerated individuals with the tools, knowledge, and community to explore mathematics and gain marketable skills. 

Our mentors offer not only academic support and guidance but also create lasting relationships that ease the transition back into society. These connections often lead to employment, research and publication opportunities post-release, enabling participants to continue pursuing mathematics as part of a meaningful and healthy lifestyle.

Support Math Education in Prison

Help Bring Computer Science into Prisons

The Prison Mathematics Project supports incarcerated individuals pursue self-studies in the field of mathematics.

The Prison Mathematics Project (PMP) brings math into prison in three different ways. 

1. Our one-on-one mentorship program pairs incarcerated individuals with a mathematical mentor. Our mentors are professors, post-docs, PhD students, undergraduates, math teachers, and people working in industry who have a passion for math. Once paired, the mentorship works to reach the educational goals of the incarcerated participant. This is done through letters, e-messaging, and phone calls when available. Deep relationships are formed that continue post-release and are a great way to support the difficult transition back to the outside world. 
2. Math circles in prison are a great way to build a community around math. Local mathematicians go into the prison to lead 1-2 hour events that work on problems solving and analytical thinking skills. Some of the topics explored in these events are combinatorics, number theory, graph theory, etc.  We have done events in Washington, Michigan, North Dakota, and we have upcoming events planned in New Jersey, Calgary, and Toronto. 
3. The PMP Console is a coding app that goes on inmates' tablets. It has a text editor, complier, and courses with exercises and explanations. It has recently been approved for a pilot program at the biggest prison in Australia. Giving people more technical skills and education will lead to better post-release employment and will help lower the recidivism rate. 