Inside-Out Innovation: Jessica Hicklin’s Radical Rethink of Education in Prisons

How Unlocked Labs, GESAwards winner of the Social Impact Award for 2024, enables access to education behind prison walls

When Jessica Hicklin taught herself to code in a maximum security prison cell, she was just trying to solve a problem. But without realizing it, she was actually laying the groundwork for a tech company that would one day serve thousands of incarcerated learners, building their path for re-entry into society.

She was living this challenge - sentenced to life in prison at 16, with barely a high school education, she needed a plan. That plan grew almost on its own, to what became Unlocked Labs. 

Jessica is the Founder and Co-Executive Director of Unlocked Labs, a nonprofit tech company working at the intersection of criminal justice reform, education, and technology. But that title barely scratches the surface of her story, or the force of will behind her work.

“We’re a tech company focused on criminal justice reform,” she explains, “but we do it through education and tech infrastructure. The core idea is this: if we increase access to learning opportunities for people who are incarcerated, society benefits.”

From a Missouri Maximum Security Prison to A Globally Recognized EdTech Initiative

When Jessica was sentenced to life in prison without parole, she was not expected to ever come home. She started thinking and researching ways to educate herself, and became highly critical about the failure of the justice system. “In the US alone, the government spends more than $187 billion a year on the criminal justice system. But it has an 83% failure rate. Formerly incarcerated individuals get rearrested and go back, rather than joining the workforce and leading a productive life.” Jessica explains. “This was my expected trajectory. My state spent thousands of dollars incarcerating me and 0$ in educating me or preparing me for the return to society. I lived this problem, and it bothered me deeply.” She recalls. 

With barely any formal education, she began to educate herself, and tried to find a solution to the lingering challenge she and so many others faced. She started volunteering and teaching. One day in her research, she encountered the Khan Academy platform, which became her inspiration. “That was my a-ha moment” she recalls. “I asked myself: What if we had Khan Academy for prison?”

She borrowed some text books and taught herself how to code, building prototypes that later became the seeds of what Unlocked labs do today. Her insight into the barriers and unique challenges of the system, as well as recruiting a team made of 50% formerly incarcerated individuals, gives Unlocked Labs a rare credibility and advantage in serving this very system. 

Bending Boundaries in a Restricted Environment

Today, the organization includes 25 employees and works across the correctional system in several states in the US, expanding into additional states and countries in the near future. Their goal is to make meaningful education possible inside prison systems, where traditional digital access is extremely limited and where policy, infrastructure, and security constraints often stall progress before it starts.

“We act as technology strategists,” Jessica says. “We help departments of corrections think through: How do you build education networks? How do you give limited but necessary access to the internet? How do you maintain safety and compliance while still preparing people for reentry into a digital world?” The Unlocked Labs team supports the system in finding answers to these challenges and provides access to education in the broadest terms. They see themselves as the bridge between the justice, security, rehabilitation and education professionals. 

Their system is built to work offline, function on secure networks, and mirror the kind of digital environment learners will face upon release. The platform currently supports tens of thousands of learners and thousands of digital courses and its impact is significant. “We hear back from people using the system all the time,” Jessica says. “They’re building resumes, learning entrepreneurship, even starting small businesses from the inside.”

The Freedom to Learn

Unlocked Labs operates as a non-profit tech company. A unique model that is driven by a strong mission and determination. Since their launch, three years ago, they have raised close to 8 million USD. The first two years were fully supported by philanthropic funds, and then the contracts started coming in. Unlocked Labs work with 5 states across the US and closed several large government contracts with state-wide corrections departments. They plan to remain a non-profit to drive their mission, and in Jessica’s words - “so far, it's working.”

The Unlocked Labs team, based on their commitment and lived experience, are building the tools and platform to get people back into society and the workforce. They are looking at a learning journey in prison, and with that, contributing to these individuals’ life path, allowing them to envision a future for themselves.

What the EdTech World Needed to Hear, On a Global Stage

Unlocked Labs gained global attention when they were selected as finalists for the 2024 Global EdTech Startup Awards (GESAwards), representing the US and Canada. After pitching to an international panel of judges, they were announced as the winners of the Social Impact Award in the Global Finals, hosted at Bett London. Sharing her story with a global audience, Jessica brought a message many weren’t expecting, and eventually couldn’t forget. She talked about who is left behind in our tech revolutions, and what it looks like to build solutions for people who are locked out, literally.

“GESAward was amazing for multiple reasons.” She recalls with emotion. “First, it’s global recognition for the work we're doing. We are a humble team that’s trying to change the world and make it better. Sometimes you get distracted, and this was an incredible validation for us. I will be honest, I cried a lot over this award. If you come into our office, it's sitting right there on the shelf and people react to it. I'm so proud of my team and the work that we do.” 

The GESAwards stage gave Unlocked Labs a platform and validation that expanded their network of supporters, partners, and potential collaborators around the world. Jessica recalled several surprising encounters after the awards ceremony, from investors approaching her at Bett, to an unexpected encounter at Oxford University that seeded a new partnership. As Unlocked Labs continues to expand in the US and beyond, the award allowed them a moment of reflection, recognition and validation that was important to fuel their mission-driven team. 

“Start something now.” Jessica encourages rising entrepreneurs. “So many talented people think they’re not qualified or their idea isn’t good enough. I had very little world experience when I started and yet, here we are. So if you have an idea to make the world a better place, do it. It's gonna be hard, but it's worth it.”