VIU to expand Inside-Outside Prison Exchange program

Vancouver Island University has announced that it will expand a program that brings together university students and people spending time in provincial correctional centres. The Northpine Foundation donated $1.1M to expand the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program to other communities in British Columbia. The program gives students from outside of the correctional centre the opportunity to study criminology courses alongside students who are incarcerated. “At VIU, success is determined by how wide we can open our doors to allow as many people as possible to access life-changing educational experiences,” said VIU President Dr Deborah Saucier. The gift will also support those who have formerly been incarcerated in pursuing postsecondary studies and support the development of employment training at the Nanaimo Correctional Centre.