"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!