Why Offer Postsecondary Degrees to Incarcerated Students?

Hello and welcome to Sunday Morning Coffee. I hope you have some, and I hope you’r relaxing and looking forward to an amazing week. How was last week? Mine was super busy and full of wonderful family and work things for which I’m grateful. I started the week with the Rewriting the Sentence Summit in DC. I heard some fantastic speakers, learned a lot from thoughtful panels, and connected with friends. In many conversations, I listened to colleagues discuss the benefits of offering credit-bearing and degree-bearing programs to incarcerated students, and that’s what I want to talk about this morning.

There are postsecondary prison programs across the country. We’re seeing more and will continue to see more, hopefully, now that the Pell grant has been reinstated for justice impacted individuals. As a quick primer, in case you aren’t aware, Pell grants were available to incarcerated people until the Clinton administration, during which they were abolished following the passing of the 1994 crime bill. After that, there was a dearth of degree-bearing programs in prisons because of a lack of resources (on the part of potential students and on the part of universities). The Second Chance Pell grant, officially known as the Experimental Sites Initiative: Second Chance Pell, is a federal program aimed at providing educational opportunities to incarcerated individuals in the United States. This initiative was launched as a pilot program by the U.S. Department of Education in 2015 during the Obama administration. The program was designed to address the challenges faced by incarcerated people seeking to improve their education and job prospects while in prison, with the goal of reducing recidivism rates and easing the transition back into society after release. Through Second Chance Pell, participating correctional facilities partner with accredited postsecondary institutions to offer a range of educational and vocational programs to eligible inmates. The program was a response to growing recognition of the role education can play in breaking the cycle of incarceration and helping individuals reintegrate into their communities upon release. Since its inception, the Second Chance Pell grant has expanded and continues to support educational opportunities for incarcerated individuals across the country.

Postsecondary education offers significant benefits to justice impacted individuals.. Firstly, it provides an opportunity for skill development and academic growth, equipping them with knowledge and skills that can lead to better employment prospects. This, in turn, reduces the likelihood of further justice involvement and helps them to rebuild their lives. Additionally, higher education fosters personal growth, self-confidence, and a sense of purpose, which are crucial for successful reintegration into society. Education also contributes to breaking the cycle of poverty and crime, offering a chance for upward mobility and economic stability. I love hearing from incarcerated college students how some of them find themselves tutoring their own children via phone, or maybe are taking the same class that their children are taking at their college or university. Breaking a generational cycle of justice involvement is a wonderful by-product of education. And lastly, pursuing a degree demonstrates a commitment to rehabilitation, which can be a positive factor when seeking employment or support from the community. In essence, postsecondary education is a key pathway for the justice impacted to transform their lives.

Education can be the great equalizer out here in the free world.

Here’s my favorite reason for providing our incarcerated brothers and sisters the chance to explore postsecondary education and earn a degree…I’ve heard it over and over in my career…a student will describe their college experience and say, “I was scared to take the classes, then I got started, and I realized I am smart.” Gets me every time. Opening doors so that people can unleash their own potential? Is there anything better than that?

My hat’s off to universities and colleges that make it happen for incarcerated students that enroll, start, and finish their studies. It’s not easy, on either side, to get programs up and running and funded.

Enjoy your coffee as you contemplate the great work that people do every day to make our world a better place. I know you’re one of them.

Cheers!