The 2023 Colby College Justice Think Tank included 12 scholars from across all five Maine prisons, selected through a competitive application process and provided a stiped by the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison. During 2023, the Justice Think Tank Fellows conducted a research project of their own design, supported by Colby faculty and staff "walkalongs" who helped with document access, interview arrangements, and general support. The selected topic for 2023 was the restorative alternatives that Maine could develop to keep emerging adults out of the criminal legal system, that could…
This user-friendly Language Matters Guide builds on Jobs for the Future's 40 years of experience in the education and workforce ecosystem. The guide offers suggestions on how to write and speak about people in ways that promote equity, dignity, and a focus on each individual's potential—rather than labeling them based on the systemic barriers they face.
Topics covered include skills and socioeconomic status, race and ethnicity, criminal justice, and more. Because language is fluid, the recommendations will evolve.
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…
Aloha! I serve as chancellor at Windward Community College and founded our Puʻuhonua (Places of Sanctuary) Program in 2017, which serves three carceral insitutions in Hawaiʻi.
Iʻm excited to get to meet others engaged in this work!
Hi! My name is Basia, and I am the workforce development director for P2P (From Prison Cells to PhD) and senior faculty specialist at the University of Maryland working on an AgTech project that brings leading researchers together with farmers to help improve decision-making processes through the use of satellite data from space.
I am a proud mother of two beautiful young ladies and three sweet pups in St. Louis, Missouri. I am first generation American and speak Polish fluently. I love to travel, read, cook, and explore when time allows. I am excited to be a part of this…
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.
