The PGP Fosters Academic Progress while Changing Cultures in Carceral Facilities: Feedback from our Partners

In the fall 2024 the Puttkammer Center created and administered the PGP’s first national standardized partner feedback survey.  Designed in collaboration with Listen4Good, this survey helps us ensure our programming is as responsive as possible to the populations we serve. We collected responses from 19 partners, including both community-based organizations and correctional institutions, to understand what we are doing well as well as areas for growth. 

Highlights include: 80% of respondents agreed that students in our programs were more likely to progress academically. In the words of one of our partners: “PGP has offered invaluable help to our students by meeting one-on-one with them and helping them to approach their assignments without the fear of a grade but with the patience of a guide.” 95% of respondents also thought that the PGP’s programming helped their organization advance towards their overall agency goals and 80% of partners felt it was manageable to do what was asked of them to implement or sustain their partnership. To quote one respondent, “Staff are very dedicated, mission aligned and responsive to our organizational needs.”

Crucially, the PGP is fostering a broader culture of educational investment among both students and program partner staff alike through our programming. 76% of participants felt the PGP is helping to promote the value of education among students at their organizations. Even more significant: 64% of our partners, including 67% of our correctional partners, reported that the PGP contributed to promoting the value of education among staff (64%). , 

Finally, the survey offered valuable insights into what we can do to further support our partners. First of all, several partners shared that they would like us to offer more frequent tutoring sessions - a testament to the importance of our services that pushes us to continue to grow. Many partners also shared a need for digital literacy programming, academic support in workforce development programs, and foundational literacy tutoring. Based on this feedback, we are prioritizing these areas of expansion among those outlined in our strategic plan for 2024-2028.