Learning in Prison

Participation in postsecondary programs in correctional settings remains low,
despite evidence of positive outcomes and a recent emphasis on postsecondary
education as a means to meet labor market demands. For example, recent
national surveys showed that postsecondary academic and vocational
programs were available at between 35% and 42% of correctional facilities and
that only about 5% of the inmate population participated (Erisman & Contardo,
2005; Stephan, 2008). Postsecondary programs represent a relatively small
part of the education programming available in the nation's prisons and their
availability is often limited by funding, prison school resources and staff, and
the availability of local education providers. Postsecondary programs in prison
tend to focus on vocational education and most are delivered via onsite
instruction and through partnerships with local community colleges. While
access to the Internet is unavailable in nearly all prison settings, distance
education (e.g., via telecourses, interactive television, and correspondence
courses) is also widely used to deliver these programs (as cited in Journal
of Correctional Education). What do you think about higher education in prison?