Five students at Slate Canyon Youth Center graduated with associate degrees from Utah Tech University — a milestone that reflects both individual achievement and the strength of Utah’s nation-leading model for delivering accredited higher education inside secure youth facilities.
The graduates completed full college-level coursework while residing in secure care, earning fully transferable Utah Tech University credit with pathways to bachelor’s degrees and workforce certificates. Their success is part of the Higher Education for Incarcerated Youth program, which now operates across 11 juvenile justice detention and secure youth facilities statewide.
As of Fall 2025, HEIY serves more than 60 students at any given time and has supported more than 200 students since its launch in 2021.
“What makes this program exceptional is its scale and intentionality,” Nate Caplin, program director for Higher Education for Incarcerated Youth, said. “We’re delivering the same accredited coursework, the same rigorous standards and the same institutional support that any Utah Tech student receives. One young student mentioned that college courses are the ‘two hours a day I feel like a normal person, not an incarcerated one.’”
Expanding Access in a Restricted Environment
Nationally, fewer than one in five juvenile facilities offer any college access, and only about 1% of formerly incarcerated youth earn a degree. Utah’s model stands in stark contrast, providing comprehensive, accredited college-level education that advances state statute (HB 279, 2021; SB 47, 2023) while delivering measurable returns in public safety, taxpayer value and future workforce participation.
“This partnership reflects Utah’s commitment to changing young lives, supporting families and strengthening our communities,” Jill Mower, program director for the Division of Juvenile Justice and Youth Services, said. “By expanding college access, we are giving young people the opportunity to pursue their goals and build a future that is not defined by their past. This is an investment in safer communities and in reducing recidivism.”
For students inside secure care, access to college coursework is often limited not by interest or ability, but by infrastructure.
In the juvenile justice environment, safety and security standards frequently restrict broadband access. That limitation has historically created a paradox: the same digital tools required for modern education are often unavailable in highly secure settings.
To address that challenge, Utah Tech University deployed the Olivia Education Edge Network — a purpose-built, offline-first infrastructure that enables students to access Utah Tech’s existing Instructure Canvas Learning Management System within a secure digital boundary.
The system allows professors, students, and administrators to interact academically without exposing facilities to open internet risk.
“In secure environments, the gap between policy intent and student outcomes is nearly always an infrastructure problem,” Ryan Ross, CEO of Olivia Technologies, said. “Utah has pioneered treating infrastructure as policy — ensuring that delivery constraints don’t veto education and workforce legislation. Our Education Edge Network solves this ‘delivery versus demand’ crisis by providing secure, high-capacity infrastructure that enables states to scale programs like HEIY without dependency on traditional broadband limitations.
“We view edge infrastructure as essential to translating education policy into practice. Whether students are in public schools, charter environments, homeschool settings, or vocational programs, our network ensures equitable access to quality content delivery regardless of location or institutional type,” Ross added. “Infrastructure should enable policy, not constrain it.”
Infrastructure as Policy
The Olivia Education Edge Network provides:
- Seamless academic continuity through offline access to Utah Tech University’s Canvas Learning Management System
- Multi-purpose infrastructure supporting higher education, K-12/GED instruction, workforce development, and other state-approved programs within a unified network
- Plug-and-play managed services that reduce IT overhead while maintaining secure, reliable access in restricted environments
By establishing a secure boundary between the classroom and the open web, the edge infrastructure allows high-quality coursework to be delivered without the risks of traditional broadband access.
The result is continuity. Students can progress toward degrees without interruption, even within environments designed for strict digital controls.
A transition specialist at Decker Lake described the impact on one student: “He is really enjoying the college experience, something he likely would not have pursued if he had remained in the community. This opportunity is opening doors for his future and creating stronger pathways to meaningful, well-paying employment.”
Proven Impact and Future Growth
Additional funding enabled HEIY to expand from 30 students at four facilities to more than 60 across 11 juvenile justice facilities. Utah Tech University further strengthened the program’s sustainability by significantly reducing tuition and fees, allowing the state to scale access at a fraction of historical delivery costs.
“Utah’s approach outperforms many states relying on correspondence or limited programs,” Caplin said. “We’ve aligned with best practices used by leading colleges and universities nationwide while building infrastructure that can grow with demand.”