User:Macybartlett/Prison education

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Those entering prison systems worldwide have, on average, lower levels of education than the general population. Prison education, both vocational and academic, often aims to make the inmate more employable after release. Administrating and attending educational programs in prisons can be difficult. Staff and budget shortages, a lack of educational resources such as textbooks and computers, and the transfer of prisoners between facilities are common barriers. Prisoners may be reluctant to participate, often due to past educational failures or a lack of motivation. *NOTE: taking out this sentence because it is contradicted later on in the article*

History

North America

Support and availability of educational programs has fluctuated in the US as policy has switched between focusing on rehabilitation and crime control. Between 1972 and 1995, inmates in the US were able to apply for Pell Grants, a subsidy program run by the US federal government that provides funding for students. However, in 1994 Congress passed the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, which denied Pell Grants to anyone who is incarcerated. As a result, by 2005 only about a dozen prisons were offering post-secondary education, compared to 350 in the early 1990s; the number in New York dropped from 70 to 4. During this time, private organizations such as the Bard Prison Initiative and the Prison University Project (now known as Mount Tamalpais College) began to offer free tertiary education programs to incarcerated people. In 2015, President Barack Obama created a pilot program that allowed a limited number of inmates to receive Pell grants. More than 200 colleges in 47 states subsequently expressed interest in running educational programs for prisoners. The Pell ban was repealed in December 2020, reinstating eligibility for federal financial aid to thousands of incarcerated people in the US. Currently, it is estimated that only between 35-42% of prisons across the US have post-secondary education programs.

Challenges

Many mainstream pedagogical practices carry directly over to prison education, and commonsense pedagogical considerations are often found to be the most effective, though prison restrictions can act as a detriment to their implementation. Prison education programs have been considered to be a "delicate balancing act" between enough cooperation with the criminal justice system and genuine efforts to offer meaningful learning experiences. For example, while teachers may wish to provide ongoing support, prisons may forbid inmates from contacting them outside of their class times for ongoing feedback and help with studies. In some prisons, teachers may be required to not address inmates by their names and instead call them "offenders", which causes a barrier to developing trust between teachers and students, often considered an important factor for successful education. Other prisons emphasize the importance of trust between teachers and students, and focus on ensuring students feel like “scholars instead of inmates, learners instead of threats, [and] people instead of numbers.”

Rates

Recidivism in many countries is high, with rates over 50% not uncommon. Recidivism rates are difficult to compare between countries, due to differences in laws and also what constitutes recidivism. Some countries consider simply being re-arrested as recidivism, whereas others count re-conviction or re-imprisonment. There is also little consistency in the periods of time measured, and some countries do not release figures at all. A 2019 study analysing the latest available figures from 23 countries and self-governing areas found that within two years of release, re-arrest rates ranged from 26% (Singapore) to 60% (US), re-conviction rates ranged from 20% (Norway) to 63% (Denmark), and re-imprisonment rates ranged from 14% (Oregon, US) to 45% (Australia). In California, a 2012 study found that graduates of the Prison University Project showed a recidivism rate of 17% compared the overall state average of 65%.