This report examines both the history and scope of college in prison programs across New York State. This report also describes the existing programs and incorporates the perspectives of DOCCS officials, college administrators, and incarcerated students.

This fact sheet provides an update on outcomes—including expanding enrollment, course offerings, and degrees awarded—from the Second Chance Pell Experimental Sites Initiative. The initiative, launched by the U.S. Department of Education in 2015, provides need-based Pell Grants to people in state and federal prisons through partnerships with 65 colleges in 27 states. The Vera Institute of Justice has provided technical assistance to the participating colleges and corrections departments, helping to ensure that these programs are providing quality higher education both in prison and post-release.

This report synthesizes existing literature around higher education for formerly incarcerated individuals and describes the need for more work in this area. More than 650,000 individuals are released from state and federal prisons and return to the community each year. However, most programming and research have been concentrated on correctional education. As a result, formerly incarcerated individuals are largely not recognized as a student group needing support, programming, and research in the higher education space.

This fact sheet from the U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid office explains eligibility requirements for incarcerated students.  

This guide is part of an effort to provide college providers with the necessary tools for developing programs that are responsive to the unique environment of correctional facilities. While designed specifically for college programs that operate in New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision facilities, this guide may also be useful for organizations and colleges outside of New York that wish to establish or enhance college in prison programs. 

This guide is designed to help students take the first steps towards continuing their education, whether that means learning English, working towards their HSE, learning an occupation, or building on college credits they have already earned.

The Second Chance Pell Experimental Sites Initiative, launched by the U.S. Department of Education in 2015, provides need-based Pell Grants to people in state and federal prisons. Second Chance Pell has active partnerships with 64 colleges that teach in 28 states. The schools were selected in June 2016 for the initiative, which examines whether expanding access to financial aid increases incarcerated adults’ partici­pation in educational opportunities. The Vera Institute of Justice (Vera) is providing technical assistance to the participating colleges and corrections departments, helping to ensure that the programs provide quality higher education in prison and post-release. This policy brief summarizes survey data that 60 of the participating colleges submitted to Vera about the first three years of the project.

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. This fact sheet unpacks 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.

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 fact sheet from the U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid office provides answers to common questions from incarcerated students seeking financial aid.

This story from Margaret diZerega, Initiative Director for the Vera Institute of Justice's Center for Sentencing and Corrections and Unlocking Potential, and Hannah Eddy, Communications Manager for Unlocking Potential, discusses the "closed doors" many individuals with a criminal record face in pursuing postsecondary education, and highlights the forthcoming reinstatement of federal need-based financial aid—or Pell Grants—for people in prison as a solution with the potential to open many doors come July 1, 2023.

As the story explores, across the United States, education and corrections leaders are preparing for a wave of new colleges, particularly four-year universities, to launch programs in prisons. The authors discuss the fact that, anticipating this new opportunity to expand access, states like Colorado and Tennessee have begun to bring together four-year and community colleges, departments of corrections, education-focused nonprofits, and—for the first time—state departments of higher education to foster communication among these partners, improve collaboration, and begin creating more effective state systems for higher education in prisons.

This fact sheet from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance provides information on the following three current Second Chance Act investments that support education and employment reentry strategies in 28 states and jurisdictions: the FY 2018 Adult Reentry and Employment Strategic Planning Program (ARES); the FY 2020 Correctional Adult Reentry Education, Employment, and Recidivism Reduction Strategies Program (CAREERRS); and the FY 2021 Adult Reentry Education, Employment, Treatment, and Recovery Program.

The fact sheet discusses eligibility, funding amounts, allowable use of funds, award periods, and highlights a grantee for each of the aforementioned Second Chance Act investments.

In October 2022, the U.S. Department of Education published final regulations for the federal Pell Grant program that promote accountability, expand college access to students who are incarcerated, and strengthen protection for veterans, service members, students, and borrowers.

This fact sheet includes additional details on the major provisions of the rule and changes made in response to public comment.

This fact sheet was produced by the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to provide information on BJA-funded programs that support corrections. This document belongs to a series of fact sheets that highlight BJA-funded programs that support different focuses.

On October 28, 2022, the United States Department of Education published final regulations that provide a framework for how to implement Pell reinstatement and ensure high-quality postsecondary education in correctional facilities. The regulations will take effect on July 1, 2023. Specifically, the FAFSA Simplification Act, passed on December 27, 2020, restored Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated students. Now, for the first time since the 1990s, people who are confined or incarcerated who are enrolled in an eligible prison education program (PEP) will be able to access federal financial assistance through the Pell Grant program. This document provides guidance on how students who are confined or incarcerated can access federal Pell Grants. 

In this research brief, researchers share findings from incarcerated students and alumni regarding their experiences with technology during enrollment in postsecondary education and participation in Second Chance Pell.