The Landscape of Higher Education in Prison
Research Topics
College Access
Dual Enrollment
College Affordability
College Completion & Attainment
Adult Reengagement & Success
Higher Education Governance & Leadership
Incarcerated Youth Educational Pathways
The Landscape of Higher Education in Prison
LGBTQ+ Students and Policies
Prison Higher Education
Pell is not enough
STEM Higher Education
Transfer & Mobility
Overview
What postsecondary educational opportunities are made available to incarcerated people? We began asking this question in 2015 and at that time, it was a difficult undertaking. This research examines and analyzes the provision of postsecondary education in U.S. carceral settings – prisons, jails, and detention centers for youth and adults. Led by the Research Collaborative on Higher Education in Prison, our research is anchored in a commitment to abolitionist praxis and addressing the most pressing issues facing incarcerated students and practitioners in the field. The University of Utah Prison Education Project, an on-site equity initiative at the Utah State Prison in Draper, was launched by undergraduate students at the University of Utah in 2016.
Pell is Not Enough: Exploring the Experiences of Participants in Second Chance Pell
Principal Investigators: Erin L. Castro, PhD, Caisa E. Royer, JD, PhD, Stephanie Gaskill & Estefanie Aguilar-Padilla
Exploring the Experiences of Second Chance Pell is a mixed methods research study examining the implementation and facilitation of the Second Chance Pell Experiment, originally launched in 2015. Conducted over three years and with support from Lumina Foundation, the research includes data collected from staff, students, and alumni affiliated with 9 higher education institutions. A total of 12 research briefs comprise the series. The title represents a general theme that runs strongly throughout the research, pointing to a reality that leaders of prison higher education must address: that is, the Pell grant, in and of itself, is insufficient to address inequity issues in participation nor provide high quality postsecondary education and student services during incarceration.
Project Page
Documenting & Analyzing the Landscape of Postsecondary Educational Opportunity in U.S. Prisons
Principal Investigator, Erin L. Castro, PhD; Associate Professor, Higher Education; Director, Research Collaborative on Higher Education in Prison.
With partners the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison and the People Lab at the University of California, Berkeley, this project traces the provision of postsecondary education in prisons, jails, and detention facilities. Together, we design and launch the Annual Survey of Higher Education in Prison Programs and support the maintenance and growth of the National Directory of Higher Education in Prison Programs.
Publications
The Landscape of Higher Education in Prison
Author(s): Caisa E. Royer, Erin L. Castro, Edén Cortes-López, Mary R. Gould, Amy E. Lerman
The Landscape of Postsecondary Education in U.S. Prisons, 2019
Author(s): Erin L. Castro, Estefanie Aguilar Padilla, Caisa E. Royer
The Landscape of Postsecondary Education in Prison and the Influence of Second Chance Pell: An Analysis of Transferability, Credit-Bearing Status, and Accreditation
Author(s): Erin L. Castro, Rebecca K. Hunter, Tara Hardison, Vanessa Johnson-Ojeda
Second Chance Pell: Exploring the Experiences of College-in-Prison Programs and Partners
Principal Investigator: Erin L. Castro, PhD; Associate Professor, Higher Education; Director, Research Collaborative on Higher Education in Prison.
With support from the Lumina Foundation, this research uses qualitative inquiry to understand the implementation of the Second Chance Pell Pilot Program, an Experimental Sites Initiative through the U.S. Department of Education. Congress passed full Pell grant restoration for incarcerated people in 2020 and this research seeks to identify widespread inefficiencies and provide best practices for the field.
Publications
Leveraging the Power of Pell in Prison: Equity Challenges in Scaling the Second Chance Pell Experimental Sites Initiative
Author(s): Caisa E. Royer, Erin L. Castro, Estefanie Aguilar Padilla, Tranquilo "Kino" Hurtado
The Use of Criminal and Disciplinary Questions in College Admissions
Principal Investigators, Erin L. Castro, PhD & Caisa E. Royer, JD, PhD
This research uses descriptive, survey, and qualitative data to document and critically analyze the use of criminal and disciplinary history questions in college admissions.
Publications
Enhancing the Carceral State: Criminal/ized History Questions in College Admissions
Author(s): Erin L. Castro, Sydney Magana
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The University of Utah Prison Education Project
Co-Directors, Erin L. Castro, PhD & Cindy O. Fierros, PhD
Committed to social transformation, the University of Utah Prison Education Project advances educational equity via on-site higher education, empirical research, and advocacy.
Publications
Critiquing Critical Pedagogies Inside the Prison Classroom: A Dialogue Between Student and Teacher
Author(s): Erin L. Castro, Michael Brawn
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