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Prison Education
Supporting Success: The Higher Education in Prison Key Performance Indicator Framework

The Impact of Higher Education in Prison

Sept. 15, 2020
Nearly 94 percent of the people currently incarcerated across the United States do not have a postsecondary degree, despite research indicating that higher education in prison decreases rates of reincarceration by improving chances of meaningful employment, stable housing, and successful reintegration in families and communities upon release. This report from the Institute for Higher Education…
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Prison Education
Laying the Groundwork

How States Can Improve Access to Continued Education for People in the Criminal Justice System

Feb. 11, 2020
A new report on helping incarcerated people obtain the education they need to improve their lives and avoid further contact with the justice system shows how much progress we’ve made – and how states could be doing so much better.
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Prison Education
Equipping Individuals for Life Beyond Bars

The Promise of Higher Education and Job Training in Closing the Gap in Skills for Incarcerated Adults

Nov. 5, 2019
Research shows the importance of education on successful reentry for justice-involved individuals, where postsecondary education is proven to be meaningful to both reentry and labor market success. Nonetheless, opportunities to pursue postsecondary education in federal and state prisons are extremely limited. While federal and state prisons prioritize General Educational Development (GED) courses, traditional college courses…
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Prison Education
Federal Policies Should Emphasize Quality and Equitable Outcomes for Incarcerated Learners

Federal policy 1-pager

Aug. 27, 2019
Lumina Foundation believes high-quality education and training after high school should be available, affordable, and accessible to all—and that it should lead to further education and to good-paying jobs. Our commitment is motivated by a desire to use education to empower people who face longstanding, structural barriers, and we emphasize that commitment for people who…
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Prison Education
A Piece of the Puzzle

State Financial Aid for Incarcerated Students

July 9, 2019
High-quality postsecondary education offers people in prison new opportunities. It makes it possible for people leaving prison to build the lives they choose by equipping them with the tools they need to navigate the complex social and economic realities of America in the 21st century. So, too, it offers people serving long—or possibly endless—sentences the…
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Prison Education
Correction by Degrees

Postsecondary Programs in Prisons

June 26, 2019
In 2017, more than 622,000 people were released from state and federal prisons. Of these individuals, 78% of the men and 83% of the women were between the ages of 25 and 54—the prime working age population. Those who receive some form of postsecondary education within prison are estimated to have a 10% better chance…
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Prison Education
Equity and Excellence in Practice

A Guide for Higher Education in Prison

May 31, 2019
Equity and Excellence in Practice is the first comprehensive report written by and for practitioners to share recommendations for higher education in prison programs. The report draws upon the lessons learned from existing programs offering post-secondary education in prison settings.
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Prison Education
Unbarring Access

A Landscape Review of Postsecondary Education in Prison and Its Pedagogical Supports

May 30, 2019
Increasing access to higher education includes providing opportunities for the large U.S. incarcerated population, states this report from Ithaka S+R. There are multiple barriers to postsecondary access and success for this underserved population, resting mainly in limited federal and public support for improving and expanding programs, the report notes.
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Prison Education
Evaluation of North Carolina’s Pathways From Prison to Postsecondary Education Program
May 17, 2019
Researchers from RAND and RTI evaluated the program's adoption and success rate, interviewing more than 70 stakeholders, program staff and participants to gather input. Overall the program enrolled 201 students at the six participating prisons, where classes were taught by instructors from local community colleges. The in-prison portion of the program was completed by 150…
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Prison Education
Investing in Futures

Economic and fiscal benefits of postsecondary education in prison

Jan. 15, 2019
Efforts to build robust postsecondary education programs in prison have accelerated in recent years, with support from a broad range of groups from correctional officers to college administrators. This report describes how lifting the current ban on awarding Pell Grants to incarcerated people would benefit workers, employers, and states. Specifically, it analyzes the potential employment…
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