Colleagues -
Greetings and happy Monday (or whatever day it is that you read this). Many of you know that the Bloomsbury Prison Education Handbook is coming out October 3, 2024, so we're less than 4 months out. Given what seems to be a very positive internal response to the text, there have been conversations about a potential second book. As a result, I'll be putting together a proposal for said second text, with the hope that it covers the topics we didn't address in the handbook and…
Investments in education programs for students who are incarcerated have increased, but gender inequities in access persist. Seven women share first-person accounts of the challenges of studying while incarcerated.
This article from Jobs for the Future was written by Shaun Libby, who was formerly incarcerated and was enrolled in the Maine State Prison college program. The author states that "investing in prison education and work opportunities inspires hope, prepares residents for reentry, and reduces recidivism while also fostering positive improvements in prison culture."
This resource follows Alexa Garza’s journey through the walls of prison education and the maze of reintegration struggles, as she shares insights on breaking barriers and advocating for second chances.
To have consistent access to relevant DOC data on students who are incarcerated, postsecondary institutions should establish data use agreements (DUAs), also known as data sharing agreements (DSAs), with their DOC partners. This brief breaks down the basics of establishing a DUA.
This brief describes the factors to consider when planning an evaluation of a postsecondary education in prison program. Evaluations are critical tools for assessing whether a program has been implemented as intended and equitably, informing program development or improvements, and assessing the effects of a program on student outcomes.
This news article from the Washington Post explores how thousands of minors like Yusef Qualls-El, who is highlighted in the article, received sentences of life without parole and entered prison at an age when their peers were going to college or starting their careers. But inside, education is often reserved for those who will soon return to society. As a result, those who were seen as the least likely to get out had the fewest opportunities. The article showcases Yusef Qualls-El's story and his next steps.
This resource explores essential guidelines and best practices for data use agreements in postsecondary education in prison programs.
With support from the Ascendium Education Group and the Ichigo Foundation, Jobs for the Future’s Center for Justice & Economic Advancement is excited to launch the Normalizing Education Collective (the Collective), a year-long community of practice designed to support non-profit postsecondary institutions nationwide as they explore building or expanding high-quality postsecondary pathways in prison that…
Reentry and Chances
Second Chance Month has noble aims, and in many ways has strived to address the collateral consequences that extend long beyond a person’s release from incarceration.
A primary goal of Second Chance Month is to raise awareness on the challenges that individuals face when reentering society after incarceration, and to provide interventions that will enhance the likelihood of successful reentry. Contemplating these challenges, the scarcity of opportunities to adequately prepare for reentry during incarceration comes to mind. The impact and…
