T.E.A.C.H. (Taking Education and Creating History) is a higher-education program designed by Kimonti and the Black Prisoners’ Caucus to bring college courses to Washington State prisoners.
In 1995, Washington prohibited the use of public funds to support higher education for incarcerated people. Other than GED and vocational programs, education has since been restricted in Washington prisons, especially for prisoners with lengthy sentences who are deemed ineligible and prisoners at remote facilities.
Recognizing those disparities, Kimonti Carter and the BPC started T.E.A.C.H. at Clallam Bay Corrections Center in 2013. Kimonti began by recruiting other leaders who had certain expertise to teach courses, such as reading, writing, math, English and Spanish as second languages, and cultural studies to other prisoners.
Eventually, Kimonti and BPC negotiated with prison administrators to bring in for-credit liberal arts courses through Seattle Central College, allowing students to work toward an associate’s degree. Students may also take certificate courses on skills such as parenting, violence reduction, public speaking, and conflict resolution.
T.E.A.C.H. has expanded to two other Washington prisons with interest from many more. The T.E.A.C.H. board, led by Kimonti, runs all aspects of the program, including working with community sponsors and volunteers. Kimonti also teaches algebra, financial literacy, interpersonal communication, and African studies.
A core tenet of T.E.A.C.H. is making education accessible to everyone, regardless of sentence length, infraction history, citizenship status, or any other identity. Prison administrators credit T.E.A.C.H. with improving racial and cultural relations and reducing conflict among prisoners, as well as providing hope.
