Getting an Education as an Inmate
Prison education is a great strategy for improving economic opportunities and reducing recidivism for people who are or have been incarcerated. However, there is limited access to educational opportunities in prison.
Inmates seeking a college education have few to no options. It’s the same case for ex-cons because of practical obstacles such as limited access to financial aid.
Prisoners who find ways to get an education may dramatically improve their future prospects. We have compiled pertinent information on ways you can get an education in prison. Read on to learn more.
Prison Education Explained
One of the most effective remedies for criminal recidivism is education. Studies show prisoners with a higher level of education have a lower likelihood of re-incarceration. Even with all of this information, an inmate’s access to education is limited.
In the United States, there are more than 2 million prisoners at any given time. This is the largest population of inmates in the world. Such inmates have limits that include barriers to internet access, financial aid, and college-level courses. So what is prison education, and how does it work?
What is Prison Education?
Prison education is broad and fits under a range of categories, from arts and physical education to vocational training and basic literacy.
Education in prison includes programs that require or allow prisoners to pursue high school diplomas, GEDs, or their equivalents. They also include programs that provide college opportunities either through the mail or on-site.
In the United States, most education programs for inmates are conducted onsite at both federal and state correctional facilities.
Educational opportunities for prisoners offer demonstrable and clear value by providing access to practical academic and training degrees. Such post-high school education may result in reduced recidivism tendencies, a higher earning potential, and future employment opportunities.
Prisoners who get a GED while in prison have a lower probability of relapsing into incarceration or criminal behavior. Those with a college degree or higher are the least likely candidates for recidivism.
Benefits of Prison Education for Both Inmates and the Community
University/college degrees and/or education attainment help mitigate some of the sociological drivers that lead to incarceration. These include racial inequality and economic disadvantage. The advantages of prison education go beyond individual inmates.
The result is more vibrant communities and safer neighborhoods. Prison education also helps communities by reducing the burden that a prison system imposes on taxpayers. Unfortunately, higher education for inmates is inconsistent and sometimes comes with severe limitations.
How to Get an Education as an Inmate
There are many educational opportunities for prisoners. They range from low-level GEDs or high school equivalents to college and university degrees. The following is a breakdown of how to get each type of education in prison.
Getting a GED in Prison
Just like people on the outside, inmates need a high school diploma or GED if they want to earn a bachelor’s or associate’s degree. There is evidence suggesting prisoners are likely to lack a GED or high school diploma compared to the general public. Furthermore, those who don’t have a high school diploma are more prone to recidivism, incarceration, and criminal behavior.
A study conducted by the Center for American Progress shows that 18% of inmates hold a high school diploma, compared to 41% of the United States population. This means the majority of inmates need to start their education by earning a GED.
For some prisoners, this means participating in several basic remedial courses. They can also include literacy training. English non-speaking prisoners get the equivalent of an ESL (English as a Second Language) program.
Federal inmates who haven’t earned their GED or graduated from high school may get mandatory ESL or literacy programs. The Federal Bureau of Prisons states that prisoners must obtain their GED or undergo at least 240 hours of literacy training.
Most of these programs are done through onsite sources. They may also be required as part of the rehabilitation strategies for correctional facilities. Mail-in correspondence is also used in some cases to facilitate the receipt of a GED or an online high school diploma.
However, research shows that prisoners have a lower likelihood of completing a degree using this process. The reason is that mail-in correspondence is a tedious and slow process.
Post-Secondary Correctional Education Programs
Post-Secondary Correctional Education refers to any academic or vocational education taken for college credit. This is after an inmate has received a high school diploma or GED.
Some states include non-credit certifications and courses as part of their PSCE programs. Such states believe that broader education certifications and courses give inmates a higher probability of landing a job when they are released.
This education makes a difference by ensuring inmates possess the credentials necessary to find suitable employment when they are released.
The following is a list of different PSCE programs with examples of how a couple of them work.
1. Online Degree Programs
The potential that could be realized using online postsecondary opportunities is limited by minimal internet access for inmates. The majority of inmates get limited internet access opportunities.
This is done using a system known as TRULINCS (Trust Fund Limited Inmate Computer System). It’s a form of internet access that allows inmates in federal (and some state) prison facilities to access educational materials online. It allows them to communicate with approved contacts in the outside world.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t allow for the majority of internet-based activities.
Inmates pay a fee to send and receive emails using TRULINCS. In short, the platform doesn’t offer access to educational services such as online college programs and courses. It’s a lost opportunity for prisoners considering the flexibility and increased access provided by such online education programs.
There are states with high enrollment in online courses and educational programs. Some of them include:
- Arizona
- California
- Indiana
- Louisiana
- Missouri
- South Carolina
- Wisconsin
States such as California have strong evidence of the positive outcomes of post-secondary academic degrees. San Quentin, in 2014, was the only correctional facility in the state to provide onsite-instructed college classes. In 2017, only one of the 35 state prisons didn’t offer any form of onsite college education. By 2018, more than 4,500 prisoners had enrolled in courses that would earn them college credits.
Budgetary constraints that worsen by the day stand in the way of expanded access to college education for inmates. The equation can change with a more flexible approach to internet access.
Many educational institutions are positioned to serve the inmate population. This may dramatically scale up a state system’s capacity to offer clear pathways and access to academic degrees. Internet access serves as a bridge between public university systems and prison education.
2. Getting a College Degree as an Inmate
According to a 2011 IHEP report, only 40% of correctional facilities offer some kind of PSCE access. According to the Center for American Progress, 35% of state prisons offer college-level courses. Unfortunately, these programs cater to only 6% of prisoners in the United States.
The low penetration rate is due to various factors. It includes the fact that some prisoners may be working to get a GED or lack basic academic skills. Keep in mind that affordability and limitations on access are constant obstacles to PSCE access.
Cost is another issue that increases the limit on post-secondary education for inmates. Paying for college tuition is not easy for the average student on the outside. Financing a college education for inmates is twice as hard.
By 2018, less than 1% of the Pell Grant was set aside for inmates. This is why, in many states, prisoners don’t see higher education as an option. Others may have the opportunity to have such an education, but it may be beyond their financial capabilities. The same case applies to federal inmates.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons offers access to job and vocational training programs that are publicly funded. Such opportunities are expected to be on the rise thanks to the Prison Reform Bill that was passed in 2018.
There are some traditional college-level courses available. However, federal prisoners are usually required to finance their college education.
Distance correspondence courses may be the only option for prisoners in correctional facilities that don’t have onsite college-level options. Some colleges offer such courses to any individual. Others may offer the same but are designed only for students in prison.
The Prison Education System determines which programs it considers most hospitable and accessible to the needs of inmates. Normally, they allow selected universities and colleges to facilitate learning through mail correspondence.
Mail correspondence is also used to furnish bachelors and associate degrees, award credits, and proctor exams. This means such educational institutions offer undergraduate correspondence programs specifically designed to meet the higher education needs of inmates.
How About Ex-Offenders?
Online GED programs are recommended for ex-offenders who have just been released from prison. They offer great access and flexibility. Such education options are valuable, especially for ex-cons working under a parole program.
Those with travel limitations or in transitional employment settings benefit from the same. Check out this link for about 50 online high school diploma options.
Extracurricular Learning Opportunities for Inmates
Extracurricular learning opportunities in prison are not as broad as the ones you find on the outside. However, inmates working on an education can still engage in activities that supplement and broaden their academic work.
For example, in-prison programs may sponsor activities like student clubs or groups, film series, and lectures.
Such activities demonstrate the relevance and importance of course content to broader public issues. They also engage the prison’s broader community. These events offer an opportunity for inmate students to connect to intellectual networks on the outside. The move increases the probability of bringing potential allies to prison programs.
Additionally, when such programs are opened up to the general population, they allow any new prospective students to know and learn about the program. This, in turn, encourages them to apply.
For example, such programs can implement a speaker or film series. The speaker or film series should supplement the curriculum and address the interests of the students.
Another way to go about it would be to allow students to participate in in-prison newsletter programs. The move helps the inmates build their editorial and/or writing skills.
Examples of Prison Education in a Couple of States
To give you an idea of what happens in prison education, we have compiled information from two states. We will be looking at Vermont and North Carolina. Let’s start with Vermont.
· Prison Education in Vermont
The correctional education program in Vermont strives to encourage inmates to take part in further education. They focus on the goal of ensuring their inmates have at least a high school diploma or GED. The CHSVT (Community High School of Vermont) offers inmate education in Vermont.
CHSVT is a distinct and independent educational institution operated by the DOC (Department of Corrections). Its goal is to provide basic education to DOC inmates in Vermont.
There is a statutory mandate known as Title 28 VSA Section 120. It states that anyone who is below 21 years old and lacks a GED or high school diploma is required to attend CHSVT. 40% of prisoners attending CHSVT are under 22 years old, with the remainder being more than 22 years old.
· Prison Education in North Carolina
North Carolina uses a correctional educational matrix. It’s the result of a formula that ensures particular PSCE programs are provided at correctional facilities with inmates who can finish them. The matrix category of a prison is determined by the DOC and is based on the average length of stay of prisoners in a facility.
The table below shows how the matrix works:
| Category | Length of Stay | Education |
| 1 | 2-month minimum | Drug and alcohol treatment, employment readiness, and basic skills. |
| 2 | 4-month minimum | All programs in category 1 including occupational certificate programs and extension courses. |
| 3 | 12-month minimum | All programs in category 2 including diploma programs |
| 4a | 24-month minimum | All programs in category 3 including technical associate’s degree programs. |
| 4b | 24-month minimum | All programs in category 4a including academic associate’s degree programs and college transfer. |
If 120 days is the average length of stay, then educational programs that can be completed in this time are offered to the prisoners. This ensures that inmates enrolled in PSCE programs receive some form of college certification. The classification only allows facilities with a 2 or higher classification to offer PSCE. On the upside, the majority of North Carolina prisons are within this category.
Financial Aid for Inmate Education
Student aid in America is a crucial part of the college equation. Federal student loans and need-based grants are available to help students with their higher education.
For prisoners, their criminal conviction limits their access to such funds and grants. However, individual situations differ depending on their crime and the correctional facility where they are incarcerated. For example, Pell Grants are not available for those who have been incarcerated recently.
With this in mind, inmates interested in getting an education need to start by filling out a FAFSA form. The form assists you and the federal government in determining whether or not you are eligible for student aid. Those who are eligible for participation may find the FAFSA to be their way in.
Sometimes you get the chance to file an appeal when your application is rejected. In some instances you may be allowed to demonstrate your qualifications.
Try consulting with family members, your legal counsel, personnel at your preferred college, and administrators at your correctional facility. They will help you navigate the FAFSA process. Never give up if the FAFSA doesn’t work out for you. Take note that sexual offenders are never eligible for federal student aid, whether they are prisoners or ex-cons.
Restrictions for eligibility are less onerous for other offenders who have been released. Keep in mind that those with drug convictions experience similar hurdles to the ones sexual offenders go through. You get a technical suspension of your eligibility when you are convicted of a drug offense.
However, it may be restored when you successfully complete certain drug rehabilitation programs. It may also be restored when you pass 2 unplanned drug tests, as long as they are done by an approved drug rehabilitation program.
One way to confront recidivism patterns and improve access is by removing limitations on student aid eligibility for non-violent offenders.
Inmate Grants and Scholarships
There is limited access to financial aid for prisoners and ex-offenders from the federal government. On the upside, there are grant funding groups that work to help inmates start careers, earn degrees, and complete certifications. Check out the scholarship funds and organizations below to learn more:
- Prison Education Fund
- The Prison Scholar Fund
- The Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration
Conclusion
Getting a prison education is not easy, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. The information above is designed to show you the possibilities available. If you don’t have a GED or high school diploma, it’s important to try and get one in prison. The information and links above are designed to guide you through the process.
As an inmate, you should strive to get the highest level of education possible. This will ensure you have a better chance of reforming and fitting in with society when you are released. Participating in education programs also increases your chances of early parole because it demonstrates good behavior.
Lastly and most importantly, education reduces the probability of engaging in criminal activity when you are released.
