PEACEMAKERS' ALLIANCE

Peacemakers’ Alliance is a critical literacy and peace education program designed to help incarcerated and formerly incarcerated persons improve their literacy skills, learn about nonviolence and build capacity for critical thinking and conflict resolution. Our literacy and learning experiences are designed to instill hope and healing in our students.

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The program focuses on increasing student awareness of their human agency, while decreasing violent attitudes. Peacemakers’ Alliance offers opportunities for prisoners to further develop basic literacy skills into life skills they can practically and actively apply.

In 2010, Peacemakers’ Alliance piloted its first course Critical Literacy and Peace Education at Deuel Vocational Institution (DVI), a California state prison in Tracy, CA. There were six students in the pilot cohort. In the 2017-2018 fiscal year, more than 400 incarcerated students participated in Peacemakers’ Alliance programing and donated 7,500 hours of volunteer service. As of 2019, Peacemakers’ Alliance has expanded its programing to include additional peace education courses, conflict resolution retreats, leadership development, peer-led support groups, and community service projects. 

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Current in-custody service sites include Deuel Vocational Institution, a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation prison in Tracy, CA, Maguire Correctional Facility, CA, a San Mateo County Jail in Redwood City, CA, Maple Street Correctional Center, a San Mateo County Jail in Redwood City, CA.

THE IMPACT

0%

Recidivism rate among parolees who graduated Critical Literacy and Peace Education before their release.

91%

Completion rate for all PA services in San Mateo County Jails.

7,500 Hours

of volunteer service from PA participants

3.5 Reading Levels

of growth from PA participants