Higher Education in Prison

In order to meet the educational needs of the American’s prison populations and reduce recidivism rates, stakeholders have turned to postsecondary correctional education (PSCE). PSCE includes any academic or vocational coursework an inmate takes beyond the high school diploma or equivalent that can be used toward a certificate or an associates, bachelors, or graduate degree. Though research on the importance of PSCE is limited due mostly to the lack of systematically collected data which is comparable across states, research suggests that 35 to 42% of correctional facilities offer some form of PSCE (Erisman & Contardo 2005; Stephan 2008). For those offenders that participated in PSCE during incarceration studies observed several positive post-release outcomes such as an increased educational attainment levels, reduced recidivism rates, and improved post-release employment opportunities and earnings (Gaes 2008; Meyer, Fredrick, Borden, & Richardson, 2010; Winterfield et al. 2009). Regardless of the positive outcomes associated with PSCE, discussion of postsecondary opportunity for the America’s prison population is missing from the top of any state and federal policy agendas. This lack of top line policy attention to PSCE is detrimental to the country because postsecondary education plays a critical role extenuating challenging social conditions intensified by the increase in the prison population (Gorgol & Sponsler, 2011).  Even with the Second Chance Act postsecondary education opportunities are minimal for the prison population (Cochrane, 2012).