that postsecondary education helps offenders secure employment upon release to explain the disparities between levels of recidivism. Case, Patricia, and David Fasenfest. "Expectations for Opportunities Following Prison Education: A Discussion of Race and Gender." Journal Of Correctional Education 55, no. 1 (March 2004): 24-39. This article examines how successful individuals formerly incarcerated in Michigan were at using the education they received behind bars to secure employment upon release. Case, Patricia, David Fasenfest, Rosmary Sarri, and Anna Philips. “Providing Educational Support for Female Ex-Inmates: Project PROVE as a Model for Social Reintegration.” Journal of Correctional Education 56, no. 2 (June 2005): 146-57. Focuses on the experience of Project PROVE, a post-release program which focuses on the experience of female ex-inmates. Chow, Peter; Isabelle S. Thompson, Wendy Wood, Mark Beauchamp, and Robert Lebrun. “Comparing the Personal Development of College Students, High School Students, with Prison Inmates.” Education 123, no. 1 (Fall 2002): 167-180. This study offers comparisons between high school students, college, and male prison inmates on The Personal Development Test. It would be useful for readers interested in student culture. Clendenen, Richard J., John R. Ellingston, Ronald J. Severson. “Project Newgate: The First Five Years.” Crime & Delinquency 25, no. 1 (Jan. 1979): 55-64. This explores the effect of “Project Newgate,” a large-scale initiative run through the Office of Economic Opportunity (1965-1980) to provide college programs for prisoners at six jails in the United States. It would be useful for anyone interested in a longer historical trajectory of higher education programs in prison. Edwards-Wililey, Tina, and Chivers. “Perception of Inmate-Students’ Ability to Succeed.” The Journal of Correctional Education 56, no. 1 (2005): 65-85. Examines the perceptions of instructors who in prison programs over two separate studies. One is from 1993 and the other from 2003. Both look at the perceptions of professors in Ball State University’s Prison Program.
that completion of an education program in prison is positively and directly connected to community adjustment. Jancic, Mitchell. “Does Correctional Education Have an Effect on Recidivism?” Journal of Correctional Education 49, no. 4 (Dec. 1998): 152-61. Database Abstract: A meta-analysis of studies from correctional departments in New York, Texas, Maryland, Ohio, and North Carolina as well as Bureau of Justice Statistics showed lower recidivism rates for participants in the following: General Educational Development preparation, high school completion programs, academic and vocational education, and postsecondary education. Karpowitz, Daniel and Max Kenner. “Education as Crime Prevention: The Case for Reinstating Pell Grant Eligibility for the Incarcerated.” Annandale-on-Hudson, NY: Bard Prison Initiative, ND. http://www.nassgap.org/library/docs/crime_report.pdf This brief position paper showcases what the authors call “the overwhelming consensus among public officials that postsecondary education is the most successful and cost-effective method of preventing crime.” Klein, Steven and Michelle Tolbert. “Correctional Education; Common Measures of Performance: Using State Data to Assess the Status of Correctional Education Programs in the United States.” Washington, DC: The United States Department of Education, July 2004. https://www.cedatanetwork.org/pdf/ common_measures_of_perf.pdf Reports on an eight-state pilot study to develop a common state reporting framework for state correctional education programs. Summarizes the states’ experiences test-running data using new, common programming instructions and assesses the potential for using state data to produce policy-relevant national estimates of the scope and effectiveness of correctional education in the United States. Lochner, and Enrico Moretti. “The Effect of Education on Crime: Evidence from Prison Inmates, Arrests, and Self-Reports.” The American Economic Review 94, no. 1 (Mar. 2004): 155-189. This is an article that weighs the economic impact of high school education and to attribute a sizeable social savings to successful completion of high school programs. This would be a useful article for individuals seeking economic justification of prison education programs.
Lewis, John. “Correctional Education: Why it is Only ‘Promising.’” The Journal of Correctional Education 57, no. 4 (Dec. 2006): 286-96. This article critiques “the current post-treatment, quasi-experimental design primarily used to evaluate the effectiveness of various correctional education and vocational training programs.” Essentially, it argues that there are too many variables that influence recidivism for researchers to privilege education. It advocates a “more holistic approach” that begins “with the research funding agencies a movement away from recidivism as the primary outcome variable.” This would be a good article for researchers interested in gaining some critical distance from empirical studies that have a tendency to praise education programs. Linden, Rick and Linda Perry. “The effectiveness of prison education programs.” Journal of Offender Rehabilitation 6, no. 4 (Summer 1982): 43-57. This is an older article that provides an early evaluation of prison education programs. It suggests that intensive programs are most likely to succeed if they can establish an alternative community within the prison and offer post-release services to inmates. Linton, John. “United States Department of Education Update.” The Journal of Correctional Education 56, no. 2 (June 2005): 90-95. This short piece provides a short overview of competition for the federally funded Life Skills Program, which is the only competitively awarded program at correctional facilities. See other articles from the June 2005 edition of The Journal of Correctional Education for more details. --- . "United States Department of Education Update." Journal Of Correctional Education 62, no. 2 (June 2011): 73-76. This short piece focuses on the “Unlocking Potential” report by the Institute for Higher Education Policy. It says that the report notes the high portion of inmate classes that are supported by federal funding through the Incarcerated Individual Program and by state funding. Machin, Amanda. “Correctional Education Programming.” Chicago: Chicago Metropolis 2020, 200[8?]. http://jthomasniu.org/class/Stuff/illedprograms-1.pdf Provides an overview the current state of correctional education in Illinois. This short report would be a useful starting point for someone with a specific interest in the state of Illinois. Mercer, Kerri Russo. “The Importance of Funding Postsecondary Correctional Education Programs. Community College Review 37, no. 2 (2009): 153-164.