College Preparation

On September 30, 2024, the Department of Education significantly revised its instructions that allow schools to apply to be official Prison Education Programs. The announcement details the new instructions and provides some process clarifications. You can find more information on the NASFAA PEP WebCenter, located at nasfaa.org/pep. The link to information about starting a Prison Education Program, including the announcement, can be found at https://www.nasfaa.org/starting_pep

We are assessing the impacts of…

Title: Finding and Welcoming PEP Students: Continuing the Conversation

Date: Thursday, September 19, 2024

Start Time: 12:30 p.m. ET

Duration: 90 minutes

Price: Free to All

Registration Link: https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/4698694/91D05DA347F67CA71F98DF536D9CCA27

Description:

At the NASFAA convening Breaking Barriers: Bridging…

Academic Advising in Prison Education Programs: Strategies for Successful Implementation

Date: Friday, September 13, 2024

Start Time: 2:30 p.m. ET 

Duration: 90 minutes

Price:  Free to All

Presenters: Sheila Meiman, Dr. Paula Pitcher and Dr. Wendy Troxel

Registration Link: https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/4698549/1521A938619C03D5EA7F863C93F07BF0 

Description: This session, sponsored by the National Association of Student Financial…

The Office of Correctional Education was created through an Act of Congress in 1991 to oversee and coordinate prison education programs as a way to reduce recidivism (Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act, 1990). However, correctional education completion rates are extremely low. Therefore, we used secondary data from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies survey to show that students in prison would benefit from developmental and student supports. Survey data represented 1,319 prisoners and 8,670 from the household population. We used…

Our mission at the American Institutes for Research® (AIR®) is to generate and use rigorous evidence that contributes to a better, more equitable world. In partnership with Ascendium, we are embarking on an initiative that promises to benefit the field of Higher Education in Prison through the release of open resources and opportunities for shared learning. 

We have issued a Request for Proposals that invites Higher Education in Prison (HEP) programs to submit a proposal that addresses high-leverage technical assistance needs in the field. Selected grantees…

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.

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 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.

Accessing high-speed internet in correctional settings can serve as a conduit for incarcerated individuals to receive vocational and technology training programs and set them on a path to success. This recorded webinar highlights state and local examples of how leaders in this space are creating economic development opportunities for justice-impacted individuals and how they are defining their digital equity baselines, indicators, and goals, as well as tools they use to measure success. 

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…