KPU presents Surrey Pretrial Services with Community Impact Award
June 28, 2025
The award recognizes a unique partnership that brings together KPU students and incarcerated learners
Kwantlen Polytechnic University honoured Surrey Pretrial Services with its 2025 Community Impact Award earlier this summer semester.
The high-security prison has been a partner in KPU’s Inside-Out Prison Exchange program, which brings students from the university together with incarcerated students at the Surrey Pretrial Services Centre.
Offered at the university since 2011, the program was spearheaded by former faculty member Wade Deisman, who used to also be KPU’s associate dean of the Faculty of Arts.
Pictured from left to right: correctional officer Lu Ding; correctional officer Amrit Sandhu; Assistant Deputy Warden Anita Varan; Dean of Arts Shelley Boyd; Lead Advisor, Work Integrated Learning Larissa Petrillo; Vice-President of External Affairs Randall Heidt; creative writing instructor Nicola Harwood; criminology instructor Chris Thomson; Inside Out Prison Exchange student. (Submitted)
