The challenge: This paper examines the state of knowledge and evaluation in prison higher education. Little is known about its efforts, outcomes, and impact or about the students enrolled in such efforts. Potential consequences: Incarcerated college students are a disenfranchised population with restricted autonomy. Without understanding prison…

The Florida State University (FSU)/Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) Art Therapy in Prisons Program is contractually required to conduct an annual art exhibition of the participants' work. Originally to be held inside the institutions, it evolved into a single art exhibition at an annual state-wide conference for prison educators. This…

The empowering effect of higher education in a carceral environment is recognised globally as the most effective rehabilitative tool for reducing reoffence and promoting the reintegration of incarcerated individuals into society. While many researchers from the Global North have studied carceral education and accessibility, few of those studies…

Despite the growing trend in research on Latino men, one aspect that is missing is the experience of formerly incarcerated individuals. Using the asset-based framework of Community Cultural Wealth, the authors explore how formerly incarcerated Latino men become Streetwise Scholars, going from incarceration into higher education. Findings…

The current study explored the attitudes of criminal justice students enrolled at a Midwestern university in the United States toward conjugal visitation programs. The data were collected through an online survey questionnaire consisting of 10 closed-ended and two open-ended questions, capturing responses from 110 students enrolled in five…

A cognitive prerequisite for education and (re)entry into the labor market is the ability to concentrate for a long period. Conducted with 39 participants, the present study examines the effect of a six-week dance-like martial arts program on prisoners' concentration ability in an open prison in Germany (n=15), and compares their concentration…

This Critical Discourse Analysis looks at the perspectives and experiences of academic advisors regarding incarceration to determine how discourses might impact college access for this emerging student population. Key implications of this work demonstrate that (a) academic advisors are not aware of how to best support students with incarceration…

In this chapter, I argue that prison education is dangerous. In a context where individual incarcerated people have restricted autonomy, non-incarcerated students, staff, and faculty from colleges and universities can cause real harm by neglecting to consider the vast power differentials between non- or never-incarcerated educators and students in…

This qualitative narrative study shares the lived experiences of formerly incarcerated women, their reintegration into the community, and their journey to and through college. The eight participants span between 25 and 64 years of age, have spent varying lengths of time incarcerated, and are now either in college or recent graduates of both public…

Project Rebound works to support currently and formerly incarcerated people to enter higher education. As Project Rebound continues to grow, gain national acclaim, and traction within California State University (CSU), it is critical that higher education practitioners reflect on the program's evolution, successes, and challenges not only to fully…

Corrections education (CE) faculty Lauren Zavrel reflects on the vacuum of graduate-level programs and professional development (PD) that prepare teachers for the specific work of teaching adults in prisons and jails. Citing her own unique journey into the field of CE, similar stories from colleagues, and literature on the topic, she argues that…

Individuals released from prison often struggle to begin their lives again. Finding employment and acceptable housing may be at the top of their To Do lists but the list of requirements may not stop there. Hefty fines or rigorous probation requirements are often part of one's reentry experience. Others may wish to seek training or educational…

The California State University (CSU) Project Rebound is a re-entry program that provides educational, social, financial, and case management to formerly incarcerated college students with the goal of helping them become successful post-incarceration and post-graduation. This exploratory study examines successful career-building strategies…

College-in-prison programs are positioned to expand substantially under the reinstatement of Pell Grant eligibility for people in prison. While this change will enable more students who have been systemically excluded from higher education to attend college, degree completion is rare during incarceration and post-release. Student perspectives can…

Experiential learning is an important component of a criminal justice education. To date, the use of virtual technologies as a form of experiential learning has not been tested. To address this gap, a virtual tour detailing mental illness occurring in prison was provided to undergraduate students in five criminal justice courses taught in two U.S.…