Prison education

Prison education, also known as correctional education or inmate education, is the instruction of inmates in federal and state prisons. Vocational training is sometimes available to teach inmates specific job-related skills. Adult education programs also exist to teach basic education, such as reading, writing, and math. Inmates can study to take the General Education Development (GED) test if they have not earned a high school diploma, or they can take classes to receive a two-year associate's degree or a four-year bachelor's degree.

Prison education programs were a point of considerable political contention in the United States by the late twentieth century, often in connection to the "tough on crime" policies that started in the 1980s and 90s. Many prison education programs were defunded as a result of the laws passed during this period. Some education initiatives were reinstated in the beginning of the twenty-first century, and prison reform became a bipartisan goal, although debate continued regarding the best way to improve prison education and other reforms.

Brief History

Prison education programs have existed in the United States essentially as long as prisons have. An early prisoners' rights advocacy group was implemented in Pennsylvania in 1787, when concerned citizens formed the Pennsylvania Prison Society. The correctional education movement began around 1789, when clergyman William Rogers began offering lessons to inmates at the Philadelphia Walnut Street Jail. The movement that formed from Rogers's original idea was referred to as Sabbath School. This was because local churchgoers volunteered their time and led the classes. They also provided Bibles to help inmates learn to read while receiving a moral education.

The mid-1800s brought a more secular education to the prison system, in which reading, writing, and math were the primary focus. Some prison systems also taught history and geography, focusing less on religion and more on curriculum that was being taught in schools. The reform movement, which began around 1870, mandated that certain inmates were required to complete educational and vocational programs as part of their sentence. The early 1900s brought further reform with the onset of the Industrial Revolution. Demand for workers was high, so inmates were rehabilitated to join the workforce.

Little changed until the 1960s, when several laws were passed that helped guarantee rights to education for prisoners, including the Manpower Development Training Act of 1962, the Adult Education Act of 1966, and the Basic Education Opportunity Grant Program of 1972. The focus of prison education in the 1960s changed from teaching basic education skills, including reading and writing, to emphasizing education to change behavior. Funding was raised for prisons to have vocational education, adult basic education, secondary and post-secondary education, and other self-help courses.

However, in the 1980s and 1990s the justice system turned to stricter sentencing and took a harder stance on crime. Violent crimes and drug-related crimes came with hefty prison sentences. Due to the tough-on-crime attitude, more citizens were being imprisoned, and the amount taxpayers were paying for the prison system went up. In 1994, the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act was passed and ended the right of prisoners to apply and receive Pell Grants, effectively ending many prison education programs due to a lack of funding.

Overview

The United States has the highest rate of incarceration in the world—a fact that has led to calls for reform from across the political spectrum. According to the US Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 2023 over 1.2 million people were incarcerated in the country. The war on drugs in the United States has been widely criticized for putting many people—especially low-income people and people of color—behind bars for drug-related crimes. About one out of every five of those incarcerated are in prison for drug-related charges. Each one of those prisoners costs taxpayers thousands of dollars every year. Many inmates who go to prison for drug-related crimes are addicts, and critics of the criminal justice system argue that they should be receiving treatment for their addictions, which most inmates do not get in prison.

Prison reform advocates also point to the low education rates among inmates as a major problem with the criminal justice system. About 40 percent of prisoners dropped out of school and never received their high school diploma. Many of these prisoners are young, unemployed, and in high-stress economic and social situations when they commit crimes. Proponents of prison education and reform contend that providing them with a high school education and some post-secondary education while they are incarcerated opens doors for them when they are released. They are more likely to find a job and a place to live, thus becoming functioning members of society who are less likely to commit further crimes and be incarcerated again. This in turn would reduce the costs associated with repeat offenders.

Supporters of prison education cite statistics to back up claims that such programs are beneficial and effective. For example, a 2001 study by the Correctional Education Association found that education in the correctional system reduced long-term rates of recidivism by as much as 29 percent. A 2005 report by the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) suggested the figure was closer to 46 percent. Many different studies found a general correlation between education and recidivism rates, with prisoners with higher levels of education much less likely to commit further crimes. Reports have also indicated that educational programs can help prisoners' mental health and reduce prison violence. Economic benefits have also been observed; a report by the Vera Institute of Justice released in 2019 found that state costs of incarceration would drop by an estimated $365.8 million per year and the total wages of former prisoners in the year after their release would rise by approximately $45.3 million if federal financial aid for college programs was made available to all prisoners.

Of course, educating inmates carries costs of its own. Opponents of prison education note that spending on the criminal justice system is already high, and argue that taxpayer dollars should be spent on other aspects of the system or not be directed toward prisons at all. Many critics also take a moral stance, questioning the concept of providing lawbreakers with a taxpayer-funded education. Those who view incarceration as a punishment and crime deterrent first and foremost tend to be skeptical of prison education programs. It was this outlook that prevailed in the late twentieth century and saw the federal ban on providing financial aid to prisoners.

The policies enacted by different US presidential administrations illustrate the changing trends in support or opposition to prison education. After the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, prisoners' rights to education were greatly reduced. Then, in 2008, President George W. Bush signed the Second Chance Act, which allotted federal grants to prison programs designed to help inmates after they are released. This was done with bipartisan support in an effort to reduce high levels of recidivism; experts suggested that about 40 percent of prisoners released were incarcerated again within three years. The grant program funded substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, training in technology careers, and other projects. The act was reauthorized in 2015.

That same year, President Barack Obama passed a law that undid some of the restrictions enacted in 1994, when the government took away the right of prisoners to access Pell Grants. He started a limited program that would award Pell Grants to inmates to take college classes while they are in prison. In 2016, twelve thousand inmates received Second Chance Pell Grants, at a total cost of $30 million. Inmates could use these grants to pursue a two- or four-year degree from a list of sixty-seven approved colleges. The Department of Education got around the ban in the 1994 law due to a provision in the Higher Education Act that allows them to conduct experimental pilot programs. Pressure to fully repeal the ban continued to grow, and in late 2020 Congress fully restored incarcerated people's access to Pell Grants when it signed into law the FAFSA Simplification Act. The law, which went into effect in mid-2023, allowed an estimated 760,000 incarcerated people to be eligible to receive federal financial aid for approved prison education programs. However, critics warned that incarcerated students faced significant barriers to accessing aid and urged college officials to invest in student support services to ensure qualified students received aid.

In addition to legislation, technological improvements also increased educational opportunities for incarcerated individuals. As advances in technology led virtual schooling to become more prevalent during the 2010s and 2020s, more institutions began providing online courses and digital learning tools to inmates. This has helped overcome some of the logistical challenges of delivering education in a prison setting.

Bibliography

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