Prison Education Program Participation and Recidivism: A Test of the Normalization Hypothesis

Using data for a cohort of Federal prison releasees, the hypothesis tested is that inmates who actively participate in education programs have lower likelihoods 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 significantly lower likelihoods of recidivating.