How We See the Problem
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the prison population in the U.S. has skyrocketed in recent decades, with one in a hundred adults — about 2.3 million — currently incarcerated. Nearly all of those individuals will return to their communities at some point, and research has demonstrated that postsecondary education dramatically improves the odds of successful reentry into the community and the labor force.
However, access to programs and cost of programs are obstacles, and often the programming is disconnected from career opportunities.
The majority of incarcerated individuals — 64% — have a high school credential. They’re academically eligible for a postsecondary education program; but for most, it’s out of reach. Unfortunately, 93% of colleges don’t provide postsecondary education in prison. Of those that do provide programs, many have limited capacity to serve all interested individuals.
Ready for Pell
This two-year initiative is designed to support and strengthen postsecondary education in prison programs in advance of the full restoration of Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated learners, coming in the 2023-24 academic year.
Our Three Investment Priorities
Grants to Expand Postsecondary Education in Prison
Launching the New England Prison Higher Education Collaborative
Exploration
This grant supports the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) in catalyzing collaboration across and within its six New England member states to increase the quantity and quality of postsecondary education offerings in prison. As the first regional prison education collaborative, NEBHE will serve as a convener, technical assistance provider, research hub, and funder for the participating states.
Oregon Statewide PEP Degree Program
Exploration
This grant supports Portland State University Foundation in developing transfer pathways for incarcerated learners in Oregon in partnership with two community colleges. In addition to offering a clear path to a bachelor’s degree, Portland State University and its partners will provide learners with wrap-around supports during incarceration and post-release.
Empowering HBCUs to Expand Higher Education in Prison Programs
Exploration
This grant supports Healthy Routines, a project of Benedict College, in engaging and supporting Historically Black Colleges and Universities in South Carolina to establish pathways and expand access to postsecondary education in prison opportunities for incarcerated learners across the state.
Building Data Collection and Evaluation Capacity for Higher Education in Prisons
Exploration
This grant supports Ithaka Harbors Inc in designing and launching a data collection tool for colleges and departments of correction to streamline the collection and aggregation of high-quality student-level data, building capacity for continuous improvement of postsecondary in prison programs.
Identifying and Scaling Programmatic Technical Assistance in Postsecondary Education in Prison Programs
Exploration
This grant supports American Institutes for Research in launching an initiative focused on significantly growing the availability of high-quality best practice guidance for postsecondary education in prison programs. By leveraging the expertise of longstanding programs and supporting them in refining and sharing best practices, the initiative will establish quality standards and generate new resources for the broader field as it grows in response to the reinstatement of Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated learners.
Identifying and Scaling Programmatic Technical Assistance Resources in Higher Education in Prison
Exploration
This grant supports Loyola University in refining and packaging their data collection inventory tool to help define metrics and track the progress and success of incarcerated learners.
Identifying and Scaling Programmatic Technical Assistance Resources in Higher Education in Prison
Exploration
This grant supports Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison, Inc., in refining, expanding, and packaging the Hudson Link Employer Toolkit. This toolkit contributes to the field by sharing guidance and resources related to Fair Chance hiring policies and practices that can be used by employers, reentry organizations, campus-based career services staff, colleges and universities, and programs to promote the successful reentry and workforce success of formerly incarcerated students and graduates.
Identifying and Scaling Programmatic Technical Assistance Resources in Higher Education in Prison
Exploration
This grant supports the University of Baltimore in refining and packaging its Reentry Support Services Roadmap to support incarcerated students’ preparation for reentry and successful degree or certificate completion after release. This reentry roadmap and peer-navigator model will contribute to the field by sharing a statewide approach to providing students with in-prison
peer support, guides to support reentry, and formalized postrelease peer supports.
peer support, guides to support reentry, and formalized postrelease peer supports.
Identifying and Scaling Programmatic Technical Assistance Resources in Higher Education in Prison
Exploration
This grant supports the University of Northern Alabama in refining and packaging a community-building toolkit to support postsecondary education in prison program implementation.
Identifying and Scaling Programmatic Technical Assistance Resources in Higher Education in Prison
Exploration
This grant supports the University of St. Mary in refining and packaging a survey instrument to support student preparation and program implementation. This survey will contribute to the field by providing a tool with which individual programs and the field more broadly can gain insights into the specific challenges that incarcerated learners experience related to their physical
needs, safety, sense of belonging, esteem, and self-actualization, which, if addressed, could improve enrollment, retention, and graduation rates.
needs, safety, sense of belonging, esteem, and self-actualization, which, if addressed, could improve enrollment, retention, and graduation rates.
