The Field of Higher Education in Prison

This is a Spanish translation of an existing fact sheet. The fact sheet provides more information for confined or incarcerated students about the federal Pell Grant and prison education programs.

This is the full text of the FAFSA Simplification Act, as passed by the 116th Congress.

Fresh Start is a one-time, temporary program from the U.S. Department of Education that offers special benefits for borrowers with defaulted federal student loans. Fresh Start automatically gives you some benefits, such as restoring access to federal student aid grants and post-release loans, but you need to act to claim the full benefits of Fresh Start and get out of default.

This article from Ithaka S+R outlines current research, and some initial interventions, on equitable practices that ensure incarcerated students with disabilities have access to postsecondary education.

On September 29, 2023, Ithaka S+R hosted a webinar, “Pell 101: Information for Librarians and Those Serving People in Prison,” to share information about the restoration of Pell funding for students who are incarcerated. Panelists included prison education journalist and Open Campus reporter Charlotte West, Vera Institute of Justice Associate Initiative Director Ruth Delaney, and NASFAA Education Specialist Sheila Meiman. The webinar recording, along with additional resources, are shared here.

Mend, a publication from Project Mend of Syracuse University, celebrates the lives and creative work of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people as well as individuals who have been impacted by the criminal justice system. This annual publication showcases writing of all types, including fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. While prospective authors may submit pieces that describe their experiences with incarceration, the publication welcomes contributions on any topic.

In this single-volume book, a group of incarcerated women at the Indiana Women’s Prison have assembled a chronicle of what was originally known as the Indiana Reformatory Institute for Women and Girls, founded in 1873 as the first separate prison for women in the United States.

Graduated Justice is a monthly podcast that features conversations with individuals from the higher education in prison community, brought to you by Tennessee Higher Education Initiative. The hosts strive to find opportunities for autonomy and success within these conversations.

Graduated Justice embraces diversity and inclusion and recognizes our responsibility to foster an open, welcoming environment where every person, regardless of background, identity, sexual orientation, religion, or nationality can be their authentic selves. We value the benefits that arise from diverse experiences and are committed to providing content that expose some to new knowledge while supporting others as they connect to their identities. We also strive to acknowledge the complexity of intersecting identities by respecting the uniqueness of each individual.

In 2022, Ithaka S+R launched a nationwide survey that would help determine the national landscape for access to educational technology in prison education programs. The survey asked respondents about student access to technology in their higher education in prison program, collecting demographic information before focusing on four thematic areas: technological devices, learning management systems and software, network connection and internet access, and future technology plans. The findings from this survey are presented in this report.

A blog post about how indifference can show up in small technical moments in a formerly incarcerated student's education journey, and how those moments can contribute to continued systemic trauma.

The Rise Up Conference seeks to liberate higher education during and after prison. It highlights the role of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people in birthing this movement, the ways in which these spaces have been occupied by others, the assets we offer to these spaces, and the ways in which allies can help foster liberation. The conference also provides perspectives on higher education during and after prison that are unique to those with lived expertise.

An FAQ on Pell Grants put together with common questions crowdsourced from people inside.

A biweekly newsletter about the future of postsecondary education in prisons. Written by Open Campus staff reporter Charlotte West. Webpage includes links to previous print issues.

In this descriptive research study, Caisa Elizabeth Royer, Erin L. Castro, and Estefanie Aguilar Padilla explore the experiences of prison stakeholders in higher education with prison disciplinary power. Based on interviews with 19 prison education stakeholders, including program directors, instructors, family members of incarcerated students, and program alumni, the authors’ findings indicate that officer-initiated discipline interferes with the aims of college in prison programs and incarcerated students’ ability to be successful. The analysis provides rich insight into the ordinary ways prison officers discourage, disrupt, intimidate, and deliberately obstruct student engagement with prison higher education and those programs’ ability to provide coursework.

This blog post discusses a descriptive research study by Caisa Elizabeth Royer, Erin L. Castro, and Estefanie Aguilar Padilla that explores the experiences of prison stakeholders in higher education with prison disciplinary power. Based on interviews with 19 prison education stakeholders, including program directors, instructors, family members of incarcerated students, and program alumni, the authors’ findings indicate that officer-initiated discipline interferes with the aims of college in prison programs and incarcerated students’ ability to be successful. The analysis provides rich insight into the ordinary ways prison officers discourage, disrupt, intimidate, and deliberately obstruct student engagement with prison higher education and those programs’ ability to provide coursework.

The book is a collection of critical prose and poetry by esteemed artists and scholars (including Joshua Bennett, Ellen Bass, Joy Priest, Mahogany Brown, and so many more) about their experiences facilitating arts workshops in prisons. The intended audience includes college (and beyond) students in inside/out-type programs (or other programs where they facilitate educational programming in prisons); teachers of such programs; students and researchers interested in arts in corrections programming—really, anyone involved in higher ed in prison AND/OR arts in prison efforts!

The first webinar in the Pipeline to Pell series will be held on Thursday, November 2, at 11:00 am ET. The webinar will focus on the FAFSA Simplification Act, Pell Grants, and prison education programs.

An abridged account of the keynote address at the 2013 National Conference on Higher Education in Prison at Saint Louis University, which focused on the power of prison higher education to bring about an end to this society’s grossly excessive reliance on incarceration.

Using data for a cohort of federal prison releasees, the hypothesis tested is that inmates who actively participate in education programs have a lower likelihood of recidivating, defined as a rearrest or parole revocation within 3 years after release, controlling for several background and post-release measures, including post-release employment. Results show that inmates who actively participate in education programs have a significantly lower likelihood of recidivating.

Estimates of post-release economic effects of participation in prison-based general educational development (GED) programs using a panel of earnings records and a rich set of individual information from administrative data in the state of Florida.