He’s a Mathematician. He’s Stuck in Prison. One Thing Stands in the Way of His Freedom.
Christopher Havens, a prisoner in Washington, became a published mathematician while serving a 25-year sentence for murder, contributing to multiple academic publications and founding the Prison Math Project. Despite being approved for clemency, he remains incarcerated pending the governor's signature. His work has connected over 260 inmates with math mentors worldwide, highlighting the transformative power of education in prison.
- ▪Christopher Havens published several mathematical papers, including in Research in Number Theory and a 2025 textbook on continued fractions with Springer.
- ▪He founded the Prison Math Project, which has linked over 260 inmates in the U.S. and Canada with 500 global volunteers.
- ▪Havens was approved for release by the Washington State Clemency Board but remains in prison awaiting the governor’s signature.
- ▪He began studying mathematics in solitary confinement and eventually collaborated with mathematicians from the University of Turin.
- ▪Havens was convicted of murdering Randen Robinson in 2010 and sentenced to 25 years without parole.
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Science He Became a Mathematician in Prison. Now, He’s Stuck There. Christopher Havens was approved for release by the Washington State Clemency Board. All he needed was the governor’s signature. By Marta Cerruti May 02, 202610:00 AM Photo illustration by Slate. Photos by Kwangmoozaa/Getty Images Plus and Pressmaster/Getty Images Plus. Copy Link Share Share Comment Copy Link Share Share Comment Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. Christopher Havens has a part-time position as research staff at the University of California at Los Angeles. And he’s had a prolific few years.
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