Math Behind Bars

Every Tuesday or Thursday, Eric Simring goes to prison. He drives to Quehanna Boot Camp in Karthaus, PA, or Benner Correctional Facility in Bellefonte, PA, to teach mathematics to inmates. 

“But these individuals are receiving so much more than a math education in pursuit of the GED,” Simring said with pride. “People at these facilities don’t have to show up for education if they don’t want to, but every one of my students who comes to class wants to be there. They have each decided that they want to change their vision of themselves and are determined to see who they can become.”

Simring has a history of working with underserved populations, but he had not found the opportunity to continue doing so locally until after the COVID-19 pandemic when he saw a flyer from the Restorative Justice Institute (RJI). This inspired Simring to reach out to RJI at Penn State; he partnered with them and began teaching mathematics to incarcerated individuals at Quehanna Boot Camp in 2022. Quehanna houses approximately 2% of the prison population in Pennsylvania but grants anywhere between 30 to 50% of the GEDs in the state.

“Many of the people at Quehanna and Benner see themselves as incapable,” he said. “Society has told them that they are not worthy and that they are failures. But solving a math problem, especially ones that previously felt impossible, proves to them that they are capable, they can manifest the courage to change, and they have self-worth.” 

The process of teaching mathematics in a prison is not an easy one. For example, paper cannot be brought into the prison, and there is no internet access. Simring must work within such restrictions to bring his lessons to the students, navigating pat-downs and limited teaching resources each time he arrives to teach.

Teaching mathematics at Quehanna and Benner is not Simring’s first foray into working with underserved populations. In his undergraduate years at UC Berkeley, Simring volunteered with the San Francisco Conservation Corps where he taught mathematics in juvenile facilities. Then, in graduate school, Simring taught 6th-grade mathematics in disadvantaged neighborhoods in New York City.

Simring says that incarcerated students’ dedication and courage are inspiring. Inmates will regularly skip chow, mealtimes, or yard time to come to class, and many keep coming even after they’ve earned their degrees. “The next step is to ask, ‘When you get out of prison, how do you sustain this momentum?’” said Simring. “According to a 2013 RAND study, incarcerated individuals who participated in correctional educational experiences have 43% lower odds of returning to prison.”

This spring, Simring will begin to develop a volunteer tutoring program, like the one he participated in as an undergraduate student, that will expand his current teaching program. The hope is to integrate undergraduate tutors from organizations such as Penn State Learning, to prepare them to enter prisons and tutor those seeking GEDs. Additionally, he hopes to work with recently released individuals to help them seek higher education at Penn State.

“The students in prison will benefit from seeing, in Penn State students, the vision they have for themselves as people who belong to a community of learners,” Simring explained. “Penn State students, in turn, will have an opportunity to reflect on the value of their college education and perhaps discover a talent for communicating difficult concepts to people they don’t typically interact with.” 

Simring was recently honored with a Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Volunteer of the Year Award for his “dedicated service, faithful presence, and compassionate care,” according to a statement from Governor Josh Shapiro.

“Community is the solution to many problems,” said Simring. “This is something I hope I can imbue to both the undergraduates who choose to volunteer with me and to the students who are incarcerated who come to math class.”

Simring’s lessons in both mathematics and community extend beyond the prison walls. 

“I have a student who didn’t have a strong background in algebra, but after my class, he calls his daughter in Puerto Rico and uses our course material to help her with her math homework.” 

Stories like these are what keep Simring going back.