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Prison Mathematics Project Empowers Inmates Through Mentorship

2/1/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Christopher Havens co-founded the Prison Mathematics Project (PMP) to help incarcerated individuals study mathematics.
The PMP has paired 171 inmates across 27 states with mentors to tackle topics such as combinatorics and abstract algebra.
Challenges include high costs for sending emails and prison regulations against coded messages.
Travis Cunningham has found purpose in mathematics by developing research on scattering theory.

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Story summary

Christopher Havens co-founded the Prison Mathematics Project (PMP) to help incarcerated individuals study mathematics.
The PMP has paired 171 inmates across 27 states with mentors to tackle topics such as combinatorics and abstract algebra.
Challenges include high costs for sending emails and prison regulations against coded messages.
Travis Cunningham has found purpose in mathematics by developing research on scattering theory.