2 Higher Education in Prison

UW-Madison’s efforts inside our prisons are part of a national movement to expand access to higher education in prison.  The resources below address this exciting movement:

1. The Vera Institute of Justice and Ascendium Education Philanthropy are respected authorities on higher education in prison and produce detailed reports on this topic, including one on how to start a prison education program.
2. The Institute for Higher Education Policy’s Higher Ed in Prison Key Performance Indicator Framework represents some the best practices in the field.
3. The RAND Corp’s 2013 landmark meta-analysis of prison education studies shows a that prison-based education reduces recidivism by an average of 43%.  This is the most commonly cited analysis regarding the effectiveness of higher education in prison.  This and a followup RAND report in 2014 show that every dollar spent on prison education saves $4-5 in reincarceration costs.
4. Investing in Futures, a report by the Vera Institute of Justice and Georgetown University, shows the substantial demand for college degree programs among incarcerated students.

For more information on existing research on the impact of higher education in prison, please visit https://higheredinprisonresearch.org/