September 15, 2021

Dear UBB community,

On Thursday August 12th we received a notice from Department of Corrections Secretary Cheryl Strange announcing that all four living units at the Washington State Reformatory Unit (WSRU) at the Monroe Correctional Complex (MCC) were scheduled for closure and operations suspended. The suspension of operations was announced as a response to the significant reduction in the prison population, itself due to recent legislative and state supreme court decisions, the expansion of the Graduated Reentry (GRE) home monitoring program, and the need to fully fund the hiring of additional community corrections officers. While the timeline remains unclear, we are preparing for the full warm closure of WSRU. After more than 15 years, University Beyond Bars will no longer be operating at WSRU. 

 We want to acknowledge the magnitude of the closure and the many impacts it has and will continue to have on the community living at WSRU, their families, friends, and loved ones. While we strongly support decarceration and reducing our prison population, we believe it should be done in a way that prioritizes the well-being of those who continue to remain incarcerated. Our hearts go out to those contending with the consequences of the closure. 

 At this time, we’re concluding our Summer quarter and are focusing our immediate energy on ensuring that all of our students have the information and resources needed to continue their pursuit of higher education. It is, and has always been, our mission to set our students up for educational success and despite the significance of this news, we will continue to do so in whatever capacity possible.

 For those who’re wondering “what does this mean for UBB?”, we do not yet know. We can say with confidence, however, that we’re steadfast in our commitment to the growth, success and wellbeing of our learners and alumni. UBB has weathered many storms and this storm is no different. We want to be as intentional as possible in how we transition into this next season and how we develop the next iteration of our program. We are preparing to ask a lot of questions and engage in active listening of those most central to, and impacted by, this work. UBB will come out of this phase looking different than before, but our mission to provide access to education remains constant.

 We want to take this opportunity to publicly acknowledge our volunteers, community partners, colleagues at Seattle Central College, and supporters. We cannot thank everyone enough for their contributions to our program and most importantly, our students. Their solidarity has been invaluable. As UBB transitions into this next chapter, we look forward to finding new ways of working together to empower our students in their educational journeys and to furthering the movement for educational justice. 

We hope you will join us.

In love and solidarity,

UBB Staff & Board