Inside Tutor Training Program
Photo Credt: William Volcov/Believe.Earth.
The Inside Tutor Training Program by the Petey Greene Program (PGP) prepares incarcerated individuals to serve as academic leaders and mentors for their peers. The initiative provides incarcerated scholars with the same high-quality pedagogical training and leadership development we offer our outside volunteers. Incarcerated scholars are already self-organizing to advance each other’s academic goals—our training supports and professionalizes these efforts. By collaborating with the organic learning communities that already exist behind bars, our goal is to foster environments where scholars support scholars.
Curriculum
Our curriculum includes a four-hour core introductory session with discussions and practice activities about:
High-quality tutoring
Tutoring strategies
Educational ethics
Trauma-informed practice
Optional follow-up sessions are tailored to meet the needs of each group of tutors and students, such as tutoring for college-level writing, tutoring math, and supporting students in developing test-taking skills.
Outcomes
Since 2024, we have run the Inside Tutor Training on 7 different occasions across three different facilities (SCI Greene, FCI Fort Dix, and SCI Chester).
In total, 90 tutors have attended Inside Tutor Training.
On average, incarcerated tutors complete nearly 4 hours (3.94 hours) of training with the PGP.
Tutors' confidence in achieving the goals they set for themselves grew 10% (89% --> 99%), based on pre- and post-training surveys.
Tutors' confidence in supporting others to achieve their goals grew 6% (89% --> 99%), based on pre- and post-training surveys.
After the training, 90% of tutors said they feel confident implementing tutoring strategies during sessions.
Why It Matters
Providing Leadership Opportunity
Many of our inside tutors are older individuals with advanced degrees or long-term sentences who utilize this program to remain engaged in education and serve as leaders within the carceral and reentry facilities where they live. For those returning home, this training provides formal professional experience and a tangible record of leadership for their resumes.
Extended Hours of Support Academic Success and Retention
Inside tutors offer services outside of the set hours that our outside tutors are allowed inside some facilities. This gives students more opportunities for support than they would have otherwise. Inside tutors are also able to continue to provide services when the prison is closed due to staff holidays, lockdowns, understaffing, and other logistical concerns that may prevent our outside tutors from entering the facility. This helps reduce the number of disruptions in services that our students would ordinarily face, contributing to better academic progress and retention.
Looking Ahead
In the summer 2025, the Center received a 2-year grant from the Mellon Foundation to refine and expand our Inside Tutor Training Program, with a focus on preparing inside tutors to support students in Higher Education in Prison programs. This includes:
Offering Inside Tutor Trainings in a growing number of correctional facilities
Formalizing a structured series of trainings, beyond the initial sessions, ideally ensuring that scholars who complete it receive academic credit
Compensating incarcerated tutors
Identifying and disseminating best practices
Convening a national working group on learning communities, research, and co-creation in carceral facilities
