Redefining Possible: Re-Visioning the Prison-to-College Pipeline

Abstract

This article identifies college as the logical space for the articulation of civil rights through the complete integration of students with incarceration histories into the intellectual and social fabric of the institution. Academic institutions provide a fertile ground where possibilities for personal and social change are realized, networks are opened, knowledge is contributed and developed, and giving back is enabled. Using interview and focus group data collected from The Gifts They Bring, a participatory action research (PAR) project conducted with and for college students with incarceration histories, I analyze experiences of personal transformation through higher education, identifying the theme of possibility. I conclude with recommendations for creating a more inclusive environment in institutions of higher education for people who have been incarcerated and want to make a positive change in their lives.While there is much research on the school to prison pipeline (Fine & Ruglis, 2009) that documents the impact of increased securitization in urban public schools and the outcomes for individuals and communities targeted by such policies, this article interrogates the prison-to-college pipeline as a strategic investment in individuals, families and communities to interrupt recidivism, enhance individual and collective outcomes and contribute to the intellectual, ethical and cultural diversity of higher education. Creating a welcoming space in higher education for people who are returning home from prison not only yields benefits to the affected students, but also challenges commonly held beliefs about the potential of people who have served time. Additionally, the inclusion of people with incarceration histories in the college community addresses racial disparities in both education and incarceration, putting institutions of higher education on the front lines of an important social justice issue of our time.The current article uses data from The Gifts They Bring, a participatory action research (PAR) project with and for college students with incarceration histories that analyses the life journeys of individuals who have successfully made the transition from prison to college. A team of eleven co-researchers framed a research project based on the stories of participants who have attended college after getting out of prison. This study creates a counter-story that demonstrates not only that college after prison is possible, but that college can be a landscape within which multiple selves develop, networks open, knowledge is contributed and developed, giving back is enabled, and the university community is enriched. The current article addresses the research question:While there is considerable research demonstrating the positive ways college in prison affects students, families, public safety and recidivism rates, less is known about the journey from prison to college. Across a number of studies, substantial data demonstrate that rates of recidivism decrease dramatically for people who have attended colleg...

Street Participatory Action Research in Prison: A Methodology to Challenge Privilege and Power in Correctional Facilities

“…Educational programming inside prisons increases the likelihood of acquiring educational and employment opportunities upon release thus greatly reducing their chances for recidivism. Correctional facilities are overcrowded with mostly low-level non-violent offenders and at least 95% of nearly 2.5 million persons incarcerated will be released at some point (Alexander, 2010; Halkovic, 2014). In fact, correctional facilities release approximately 700,000 incarcerated persons each year to local communities (Carson & Golinelli, 2014).…”

“…Quality educational and vocational opportunities inside correctional facilities improve an incarcerated person’s likelihood of program completion (Fine, 2013; Halkovic, 2014; Karpowitz, 2017; Marquez-Lewis et al, 2013; Patton, 2012; Torre & Fine, 2005). Furthermore, these programs are predictive of securing employment upon release from prison 1 (Davis, Bozick, Steele, Saunders, & Miles, 2013).…”

Creation of a Novel Biomedical Engineering Research Course for Incarcerated Students

“…6 – 8 HEPPs provide opportunities for students to earn GEDs and/or post-secondary degrees and engage in training opportunities. 6 , 9 – 13 However, access to such programs varies substantially by geographical region. For example, Royer et al reported that while North Carolina has 44 HEPPs, seven states only had one and three states offer none.…”

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“…Nearly twenty years later, Bureau of Justice Statistics data on individuals released from custody in 2005 reports 67.8% of inmates return to prison within three years of release and 76% returned within five years of release; with 56% of those being re-arrested within the first year (Bureau of Justice, 2018). Studies also indicate inmates who participate in correctional education and vocational programs have a 43% better chance of not returning to prison (Brower, 2015;Chappell, 2004;Irving, 2016;& Halkovic, 2014). These results demonstrate the value of such programs and should drive our justice system and correctional institutions to increase educational availability because of the possible impact on recidivism and the concurrent reduction of taxpayer burden to incarcerate citizens.…”