Unlocking Potential: The Power of Prison Education

Thursday, March 20, 2025

3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Join the Department of Sociology for a compelling exploration of prison education’s transformative power. In “Unlocking Potential: The Power of Prison Education,” renowned sociologist and criminology scholar Dr. Mary Nell Trautner reveals how college-in-prison programs create ripple effects of change throughout society. This special Sociology in Action lecture brings crucial insights into educational equity and social transformation.

Drawing from groundbreaking initiatives at the University at Buffalo, Dr. Trautner demonstrates how these programs do more than educate – they empower individuals, strengthen communities, and reimagine what universities can achieve. Join us to discover how expanding academic opportunities to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students isn’t just changing lives – it’s reshaping our shared future. 

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About the Speaker

Dr. Mary Nell Trautner, Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology at the University at Buffalo

Mary Nell Trautner is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology at the University at Buffalo and is spearheading the development and launch of UB’s College in Prison Program, a BA degree program that will be offered at a nearby maximum-security prison. In addition, she is creating an interdisciplinary Prison Studies Certificate to be offered on UB’s main campus that will give undergraduate students the opportunity to gain intellectual depth about issues related to prisons and incarceration on multiple levels. She has also been working to create strong campus supports and networks for formerly incarcerated students. In this work, Trautner works closely with numerous community-based organizations and campus offices to develop best practices for students impacted by the criminal justice system.

About the Sociology in Action Lecture

Each year the Sociology Department sponsors a “Sociology in Action” (SIA) lecture event to highlight outstanding work in our field. The department strives to highlight timely topics in our ever-changing social world. For over a decade, this annual event emphasizes the connections between sociological research, application in our society, ethics in research, and academic leadership to tackle important social issues. Our goal each year is to invite a guest speaker for the event who is a dynamic speaker, illustrates leadership in our discipline, is a well-respected scholar in the broader academic community, conducts ethically outstanding research, and connects their sociological research to the social world around them.

Funding provided by the Elizabeth D. Rockwell Center on Ethics and Leadership at the Hobby Center and the Sociology Department.