Each year, a select number of MFA students earn positions teaching in Alabama’s prison system through our partnership with Auburn University’s Alabama Prison Arts + Education Project. Through the generosity of the Truman Capote Literary Trust, several fellowships are available for interested students who teach for a semester in various Department of Corrections sites around the state.

Mission Statement of the APAEP

The Alabama Prison Arts + Education Project (APAEP) at Auburn University is a community of educators, artists, and students dedicated to bringing quality educational opportunities to people incarcerated in Alabama. APAEP believes that education provides fertile ground for all people to express their creative voice and vision, explore inherent curiosities, and cultivate a lifelong relationship with learning.

The program helps the adult prison population gain a quality education (leading a BS degree, if desired) and also fosters a relationship with learning that will continue to grow for the rest of their lives. APAEP provides access to sustained and quality educational experiences in the arts, humanities, and sciences.

Below is a short video describing the scope and impact of the project.