Reentry

Access to education is in high demand among the incarcerated population. There are clear benefits to students who are incarcerated, their families and communities, public safety, and safety inside prisons. Yet the gap in educational aspirations and participation has been largely driven by a lack of capacity due to limited funding.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Criminal Justice Investment Initiative funded the College-in-Prison Reentry Initiative (CIP) to close this gap by expanding access to college education in prisons throughout New York State. In this report, Vera Institute of Justice (Vera) researchers unpack the impact of participation in degree programs offered by seven colleges participating in CIP and reveal the effects that college in prison can have on in-facility behavior, recidivism, employment, and income after release. Vera additionally presents a cost analysis of program delivery and potential expansion, in order to better understand the potential return on investment of such initiatives.

This 2008 paper reviews the evidence on the impact of correctional education programs on post-release outcomes.

This report summarizes the impact of BPI’s work on prison and education policy and the lives of the individuals who participate in and graduate from their programs.

This paper presents preliminary findings from a survey SHEEO administered to its members in 2018. The paper is organized around three main categories: access, program delivery, and reentry of program participants into society.

This brief is part of a series that highlights key issues and best practices discussed at Bridging the Gap: Postsecondary Pathways for Underprepared Learners. Other topics include support services to help underprepared students balance school and daily life, and engaging employers to help build effective pathways to work.

In February of 2021, Ascendium supported Open Campus Media’s virtual convening of more than 100 attendees exploring the future of technology in postsecondary education in prison. Representatives from universities, advocacy groups, funders, and state corrections systems examined such topics as student perspectives on technology in prison education and the lifting of the Pell Grant ban. This summary highlights the day’s discussions.

This report surveys the current landscape of correctional education, discussing both the educational needs of people involved in the criminal justice system and the programs being provided to meet those needs. It reviews research on the effectiveness of correctional education, outlines the guiding principles for effective programming, discusses the issues involved in providing education in correctional settings, and identifies some potential responses to these challenges.

This is a BJA solicitation award announcement for Academic and Workforce Development Programs at the Montana Women's Prison, Billings, Montana. Montana State University Billings (MSUB) will expand both academic and short-term vocational workforce training programs for women incarcerated at the Montana Women's Prison (MWP) and upon their transfer to the pre-release correctional facility (Passages) located in Billings. MSUB programs are intended to provide a pathway to self-sufficiency for women offenders and thereby decrease the likelihood they will return to prison and/or commit new crimes.

This is a BJA solicitation for the Second Chance Act: Adult Reentry Education, Employment, Treatment, and Recovery Program.

This is a solicitation for grant funding from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance.

This is a solicitation for grant funding from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance.

This webinar showcases the work of several prison-based education programs to develop student advisory boards in prison, establish reentry navigators on college campuses, and collaborate with formerly incarcerated people within student-led and other community-based organizations that support current students.

This webinar spotlights Manufacturing Extension Partnerships (MEP) Centers. These centers, which currently operate in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, connect individuals reentering their community with employment in manufacturing.

This report from the Vera Institute of Justice summarizes five case studies of state departments of corrections and their partners that have created robust job training programs. These programs provide incarcerated people with opportunities to earn industry-relevant credentials and prepare for in-demand careers after release.

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.

This video from the Education Justice Project features interviews with Education Justice Project alumni having very frank conversations on topics such as mental health, social expectations, fear and surprise, mindfulness, family relationships, and more.

In this blog post, author and educator Em Daniels offers recommendations for colleges wanting to help returning students.

In this blog post, author and educator Em Daniels offers recommendations for building a network of stakeholders, organizations, and community members in the field of higher education in prison.

In this blog post, author and educator Em Daniels answers three frequently asked questions about reentry and higher education in prison.