The Impact of an Associate’s Degree Program for Incarcerated Students

Abstract

This article reports findings from an impact study of a 2-year postsecondary academic program offered in state prisons. Outcomes examined for participants during their 1st year of participation include performance on a standardized test of critical thinking skills, credit acquisition, achievement motivation, educational aspirations, personal development, and institutional (prison) climate. A cluster randomized design was used in which prisons in six states were randomly assigned to implement the Correctional Education Association College of the Air (CEA/COA) program or control programming. Analyses show that students in the CEA/COA program had average critical thinking scores that were about three fourths of a point lower, as measured by the Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency (effect size = −.14), and acquired on average approximately two fewer credits (effect size = −.43) than students from control sites after 1 year. There were no significant group differences associated with educational aspirations, achievement motivation, personal development, and institutional climate measures.

Radically Rethinking Equity in Higher Education: Lessons from Project Rebound

“…The more education people obtain during and postincarceration, the less likely they are to re-engage in criminalized activities (Chappell, 2004;Vacca, 2004;Wilson et al, 2000;Zgoba et al, 2008). Some studies maintain that part of the reason why formerly incarcerated individuals who engage in college-level education (whether incarcerated or post-release) are more likely to succeed in their reentry efforts is because they have increased self-confidence and are more prepared to take advantage of opportunities that arise once released (Allred et al, 2013;Meyer & Randel, 2013). Others argue that recidivism decreases because education makes formerly incarcerated people more employable, which reduces the need to engage in criminalized activities (Blomberg et al, 2011;Lockwood et al, 2012;Owens, 2009;Pallas, 2003).…”

Doing Time and College: An Examination of Carceral Influences on Experiences in Postsecondary Correctional Education

“…There is a proven link between receiving a postsecondary education in prison, 1 reduced likelihood of recidivism, and successful reentry through gainful employment and social connections (Batuik et al, 2005;Chappell, 2004;Kim & Clark, 2013). This evidence has contributed to the recent, modest growth of funding support for college programs in the United States correctional system (Anders et al, 2011;Meyer, 2013;Whiteside, 2015). 2 Such advancements warrant the need for more attention paid to the experiences of the prisoners taking college classes.…”