A prison sentence
takes away freedom.
It should never
take away education.
Exchange for Change brings college-level education inside Florida’s correctional facilities
because every person deserves the chance to learn, no matter where they are.
Most incarcerated people in Florida have no access to higher education.
Florida’s correctional system houses more than 80,000 people; the vast majority lack the tools to build a different future. Everyone behind bars is entitled to their basic human rights: Education is one of them.
This is where Exchange for Change comes in.
Exchange for Change has been teaching inside Florida’s correctional facilities since 2014.
Our volunteer facilitators—including college professors and seasoned professionals—show up week after week to lead courses in everything from writing and leadership to mindfulness and more. They do it because they share our belief that learning can transform lives.
We are not trying to “fix” anyone. We show up to teach, and do so consistently because consistency is everything, and for many of our students, that alone is something they have rarely experienced.
Twelve years. Eight facilities.
Thousands of students.
One consistent result: transformation.
700+ students reached each
year through college-level writing
and education courses across
eight Florida correctional facilities
Proud recipient of 2026
Florida Justice Institute
Petrey Public Service
Award
Academic partners include
University of Miami, Florida
International University, Florida
Atlantic University and Miami
Dade College
Without access to education, incarcerated people are denied the chance to learn, to reflect, to be seen as more than their circumstances
Since participating in classes, I’ve been more at ease, calm, peaceful in mind. I have been able to escape prison life through the words I create when I write. Exchange for Change is a must in all prison systems.
-Freddie Vontress, released in 2026
You can change
what happens next
Every gift is a reminder to a student that
someone on the outside believes in them.
