The Landscape of Postsecondary Education in U.S. Prisons, 2019
Author(s): Erin L. Castro, Estefanie Aguilar Padilla, Caisa E. Royer
Publisher: Salt Lake City, UT: Research Collaborative on Higher Education in Prison
Year: 2019
Description
Since 2015, the Research Collaborative on Higher Education in Prison has been tracking the landscape of postsecondary education in prison in the United States. Our work involves documenting institutions of higher education, associated penal facilities, and if applicable, non-profit organizations. We are interested in questions regarding equity and quality and remain committed to building an accurate baseline understanding of what postsecondary education is made available for incarcerated students.
For inclusion in our research, higher education in prison programs must have met the following criteria: 1) provide postsecondary education; 2) be formally affiliated with a college and/or university; and 3) use a secondary credential as requirement for admission or apply Ability to Benefit. Programs that are solely Inside-Out models are currently excluded because we were unable to obtain reliable information about these efforts.