This paper describes an effort to address the lack of policy-relevant data on correctional education—the Correctional Education Data Guidebook and Website—and the research projects that led to their development.

This is a project announcement about how Ithaka S+R and Ennead Lab are launching a two-year research and design project to both understand how space acts as a limiting factor on the quality and scalability of higher education in prison and propose solutions to mitigate these challenges.

This is a recording from the San Francisco Public Library's Banned Books event.

This is a meta-analysis examining the effectiveness of correctional education programming.

Drawing on past RAND research on correctional education and focusing on the Second Chance Pell Experimental Sites Initiative and the Pathways from Prison to Postsecondary Education initiative in North Carolina, this Perspective summarizes research on the effectiveness of educational programs in helping to reduce recidivism, key lessons learned in providing college programs to incarcerated adults, and remaining issues that need to be addressed, including how to ensure long-term funding of in-prison college programs and the need for an outcomes evaluation to learn from the Experimental Initiative.

RAND and RTI International researchers conducted an independent evaluation of the North Carolina Pathways Program, examining the implementation of the in-prison and community components of the program, the experiences of Pathways students and staff, factors that facilitated or hindered their participation in the program, and lessons learned.

This guide is intended to be a starting point for corrections officials who are considering partnering with a college to implement an in-prison college program within their prison facilities or who currently have such a program and would like additional information to help ensure the success of that program.

After conducting a comprehensive literature search, the authors undertook a meta-analysis to examine the association between correctional education and reductions in recidivism, improvements in employment after release from prison, and learning in math and in reading.

This is a final report to the U.S. Attorney General summarizing the findings from RAND's literature review and meta-analysis on the effectiveness of correctional education programs for incarcerated adults. It also includes a systematic review of correctional education programs for juveniles; the results of a national survey of state correctional education directors, which includes an up-to-date picture of what the field of correctional education looks today in the U.S. and explores the use of computer technology, preparations for the 2014 GED program, and the impact of the 2008 recession; and a set of recommendations on improvements needed to further the field of correctional education.

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.

This is an announcement of Ithaka S+R's new online forum.

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.

In this interview from Ithaka S+R, Dr. Jenifer K. Montag, director of disability services at Marion Technical College, discusses her work as a researcher-practitioner, the challenges of providing disability services to postsecondary students in prison, and what needs to change for equitable access to education inside.

This report from Ithaka S+R summarizes the results of a scan of media review directives from all 50 states and the District of Columbia for their respective state departments of corrections.

This blog post details how DOC education leadership and staff were planning to respond to the restoration of Pell Grants for incarcerated college students.

Ithaka S+R’s letter to the Department of Education outlines their concerns and provides recommendations that would help ensure that people who are incarcerated in the United States are provided the opportunity to participate in and benefit from a quality education.

This timely manual presents a new perspective on teaching and learning focused on countering the impacts of trauma on adults’ ability to learn. Within its detailed and useful approaches, Daniels provides a road map for building a trauma-responsive teaching practice grounded in the principles of trauma-informed care, and emphasizing the need for educators to develop a rigorous practice of self-care.　

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.

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.