There are nearly 2 million people incarcerated in the United States, with most of them being in state prisons. Additionally, among the almost 600,000 people released from prison each year, approximately 60% of those are likely to be arrested and 50% incarcerated again. According to the Northwestern Prison Education Program, “Incarcerated individuals who participate in prison education programs have a 43% reduction in recidivism rates.” They state that, “Indeed, the higher the education, the lower the recidivism rate.” This means that those who are involved in prison education programs during their time of incarceration are less likely to reoffend and be arrested again.
Some of the first prison education programs were introduced in the 18th and 19th centuries when religious organizations would provide incarcerated individuals with basic instruction and education. It wasn’t until the early 20th century that the first prison college program was established. In 1913, more than 50 incarcerated individuals were enrolled in courses at the State Agricultural College in Leavenworth, Kansas. Later in the 20th century, there was a considerable expansion of prison education programs. Before 1995, there were approximately 350 in-prison college programs. However, this number decreased substantially due to the 1994 Crime Bill. The bill banned incarcerated people from receiving Pell Grants – federal need-based financial aid. After this, there were only an estimated number of eight college prison education programs in the country.
Fortunately, thanks to organizations such as Vera’s Unlocking Potential initiative, higher education in prison continued to shape people’s lives. According to their website, “Vera partnered with select states in 2012 to help launch postsecondary education programs in prison and pilot strategies that improved student engagement and success after release.” Moreover, this inspired the launch of the Second Chance Pell Experimental Sites Initiative. This was launched by the U.S. Department of Education in 2015 to provide need-based Pell Grants to people in state and federal prisons. As a part of the COVID-19 relief package in March of 2021, the ban on financial aid for incarcerated individuals was reversed. In the summer of 2023, there was a restoration of Pell Grants.
Many colleges and universities are contributing to the powerful expansion of postsecondary education in prisons through a variety of programming. Programs offered can include vocational training, education for basic skills like reading and math, and opportunities to earn high school diplomas or college degrees. Although there have been studies that show education in prison reduces reoffenses and helps formerly incarcerated individuals reintegrate into society, critics are still skeptical of using taxpayer funds on education for people convicted of crimes. However, the collaboration of higher education institutions and the Department of Corrections is a growing initiative.
Art-based education programs inside prisons are becoming more popular as ways to foster personal growth and community building. Michelle Lopez-Rios is an artist, teacher, and community activist. She teaches voice, speech, and dialects at The Theatre School at DePaul University. Additionally, Professor Lopez-Rios is an instructor for the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program. According to the Inside-Out Center, “the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program increases opportunities for men and women, inside and outside of prison, to have transformative learning experiences that emphasize collaboration and dialogue, inviting participants to take leadership in addressing crime, justice, and other issues of social concern.”
Michelle Lopez-Rios, a professor who has taught within the prison walls, recalls an inside student stating to her in the context of fight or flight, “I am always in fight, I sleep in fight, I wake up in fight, and these two hours of class are the only times I am not.” She then emphasizes the fact that “having the space for a human being to be a human being is very important.”
The main idea for her class in the Inside Out Program was “storytelling and theater.” Professor Lopez-Rios explains that this is something to not only be utilized in the classroom or inside prison walls, but also upon reentering society. She says, “It is really important for them to tell their story. When they are looking for a job, they can tell their story.” She further explains the importance of “being able to communicate with people that yes mistakes happen, but I should not be defined by that mistake.” This goes to show that prison education is more than just learning while on the inside, but also being able to utilize those skills on the outside.
Lopez-Rios started out working a lot in community-engaged theater, discussing topics that are happening, and empowering people to use their voices. She has worked with vulnerable communities on how to use their voice and be seen. Those incarcerated are a community that rarely has their voices heard and listened to. Lopez-Rios’s expertise on voice helps to amplify those who are typically silenced, using theater as a tool for self-expression and healing. When asked what compels someone to want to not only teach theater to incarcerated people, but also inside prison walls. Simply put, she states, “Everyone has a story, and everyone’s story is important.”
In addition to DePaul University and its Inside-Out Program, many colleges and universities are stepping up and centering those who do not have access to education or resources, and implementing more prison education programs. Universities such as Columbia University,
Columbia University has a Prison Education Program (PEP) that offers courses to students currently in jail or prison. They offer a variety of courses, including the natural sciences, the humanities, social sciences, and courses in their core curriculum. The Northwestern Prison Education Program is the only bachelor degree degree-granting program for incarcerated students offered by a top 10 university in the U.S. Aside from the larger universities, community colleges like Piedmont Virginia Community College are also taking a stance for education behind bars. They have a program that offers opportunities for incarcerated students to participate in post-secondary education. This program offers an Associate of Science degree in General Studies. This prepares them to transfer to a four-year institution to complete their bachelor’s degree. Georgetown University, UW-Madison, St. Louis University, along with many more, are also among the colleges and universities that are turning carceral spaces into classrooms.
Prison Education Programs are an amazing opportunity for us on the outside of the prison walls to help those on the inside facing the cruelness of our carceral state. As interviewee Michelle Lopez-Rios demonstrates, these programs are not just about obtaining knowledge on math or reading, but it is also about centering those who are incarcerated and providing them with the skills necessary to live in our society. These programs do offer an abundance of knowledge to those in them, but they also provide soft skills like being able to engage with people.
Professor Lopez-Rios provides her take on education, stating that “Education is important everywhere.” She explains that the lack of education can halt a youth’s path and that for many incarcerated, education failed them the first time, and prison education programs are a chance at rehabilitation. Saying that, “If we put people in a place without hope, without humanity, we turn them to a certain path.” Education can be the way out of this path. She explains that if we invest in those who are reentering society with things like education, it will only make the community better, which benefits the whole society. Prison Education programs are a step forward for those who are incarcerated. Providing them with a sense of hope, and reminding not only those on the inside but also those on the outside of the humanity that remains within all people.
