The decision to pause the program has met with significant pushback from faculty, students, and criminal justice advocates. For many, the suspension feels like an overreaction to the actions of a single individual. Lee Perlman expressed frustration with the university’s stance, suggesting that the decision was driven more by a fear of reputational damage than by a failure of the program itself.
"It makes zero sense to pause the reentry program or audit the entire program based on the offense of one student," Perlman said. "Prisons are risk-averse and so are universities. I’m sure they’re thinking about their reputation and questions like, ‘What if he’d done this on campus?’ But he didn’t shoot people because he got an education. The fact that the program couldn’t stop somebody with underlying mental health issues is not an indictment of the program."
This sentiment has resonated on campus. Since the start of the fall semester, students and faculty members have organized "speak-outs" and protests to voice their opposition to the MyTERN suspension. According to reporting by The Tufts Daily, the student-run newspaper, protesters have argued that the program provides a vital lifeline and that its absence leaves vulnerable students in a precarious position.
The controversy highlights a broader tension in the field of correctional education: the inherent difficulty of working with a population that has been impacted by systemic trauma and the "harm" of the carceral system.
Sergio Grossi, a professor of criminology at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, noted that education in prison settings is inherently complex. "There are people inside that have committed harm and also that we know that many of these people also get harmed by the system, then they still continue to do harm," Grossi said. He maintained, however, that empowering incarcerated people through education remains a fundamental necessity, despite the complexities and risks involved.
Looking Ahead
As Tufts University awaits the final recommendations from its internal workgroup, the broader prison education community is watching closely. The outcome of the audit could have implications for how other elite institutions manage their own outreach programs in the face of external controversy.
For now, the TUPIT program remains in a state of transition. While some elements of the initiative may continue, the MyTERN reentry network—once hailed as a beacon of support for those returning from the margins of society—remains dark. The university maintains that the pause is a step toward a more sustainable and supported program, while advocates worry that the delay may result in a loss of momentum for a mission that they believe is more critical now than ever.
The findings from the university’s review are expected to be released in the coming weeks, a development that will likely determine whether Tufts continues to lead in the field of prison education or scales back its involvement in the face of institutional risk.
