User:Lfreeman333/Prison-to-college program

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Prison-to-college programs exist around the world, providing opportunities for higher education to current and formerly incarcerated individuals in efforts to increase employment opportunities and reduce post-release recidivism rates. In the United States, the programs have expanded in prisons, jails, and juvenile detention centers across the country amid calls for criminal justice reform and improving outcomes for justice-involved individuals. Integral to studies of prison-to-college programs are historical context, geographical location, program model comparisons. Equally important are implications of inequitable political, legislative, and social structures that potentially impact the long-term effectiveness of prison education programs.

History[edit]

Education in prison was initially introduced by Superintendent Zebulon Brockway in the late 1800s as a way to rehabilitate prisoners at the Elmira Reformatory he ran in New York. Brockway was the first to implement a points-based behavior system that identified low risk offenders at the Monroe County Penitentiary as eligible participants for industrial/trade schools, moral education, and academia programs (Gehring, 1982). While prison education programs have existed in some capacity for decades, there has been a surge of interest and expansion of programs since 2014. This heightened attention corresponds with the declining prison population after hitting peak incarceration rates between 2006 and 2008, as well as growing bipartisan support for criminal justice reform. Providing access to education aligned with employers' needs has been viewed as one strategy for facilitating the rehabilitation and reentry of justice-involved individuals.

Program models

The availability of government funding facilitated the emergence of legislation, policies, and organizations providing adult second education and literacy programs for incarcerated, formerly incarcerated, and systems-impacted individuals. Diverse program models and partnerships have emerged between institutes of higher education (IHEs) and correctional systems to provide postsecondary educational opportunities. These program models were built on the guiding principles of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) which focused on economic development through literacy and education. Prison-college pipeline programs are education strategies that support admitted students to continue pursuing their degrees post-release at partner colleges, which may offer scholarships, reentry planning, and supportive services. Program models vary across the nation providing different levels of education ranging from basic adult or remedial education to vocation programs that prepare inmates for employment. Degree-bearing prison-to-college programs are less common because inmates do not receive credit in some instances. Some common approaches include College-in-prison programs where IHE faculty teach courses on-site at correctional facilities that build towards certifications or degrees. Imprisoned college tutors may also facilitate courses. Hybrid programs that offer a mix of in-person and distance learning courses using technology like secure tablet devices which increases flexibility and course options. Expanded reentry services for returning college-bound citizens to provide mentoring, counseling, career support, and meet other needs to help persistence and completion. Programs vary substantially in cost, credit offerings, accreditation status, vocational vs. liberal arts focus, and support services provided, contributing to outcome variability. Several states have developed centralized hubs, like the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office of Correctional Education, to coordinate programs, funding, and policy across campuses. This alliance of community college programs offers credit-bearing classes in 35 prisons throughout California. In 2017, there were more than 5,000 enrolled students. The College after Prison Workshop was created due to research on the educational experiences of women who had completed their sentences. This workshop seeks to lower perceived barriers to continuing higher education after discharge and raise college self-efficacy. However, Lampe-Martin and Beasley found that state-level coordination gaps still inhibit the pipeline for many students.