Utah offers "free college for all" to juveniles behind bars

The University of Wyoming’s Pathways from Prison program uses federal Pell Grant money and private donations to fund college education for inmates. The program offers four-year degrees and aims to provide them with the skills, tools and knowledge to reenter society in a positive way. Studies show educational programs decrease recidivism rates by 14.8%, and those participating in the program say their self-worth and sense of hope have significantly increased.

Lipscomb University's LIFE Program provides educational opportunities to women incarcerated at the Debra Johnson Rehabilitation Center, including a master's degree in Christian ministry. The courses are also offered to non-incarcerated people who learn alongside their incarcerated peers, and 13 students graduated from the program in 2022.

California is leading the nation in prison education. “There are now in-person community college classes in all but one prison in the state, enrolling some 4,000 students." Nationally, 4 percent of higher ed institutions teach for-credit classes in prisons. “It's been the most amazing experience of my entire life, as either a free man or as an incarcerated human being." Evidence shows that providing people in prison with education reduces recidivism rates. “A major study by the RAND Corporation found taking classes in prison cuts the chances of getting locked up again by 43%.”

Educational Talent Search provides personalized college and career counseling to first-generation and low-income students. Counselors work with students from 8th grade through high school graduation, offering one-on-one support with college applications, financial aid forms, scholarship searches, and career planning. The program has seen nearly 90% of seniors enrolling in post-secondary education, far above its 56% target.

Project Rebound at the Pelican Bay State Prison is a partnership with California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt that provides associate and bachelor’s degree education to incarcerated individuals. Research shows access to higher education in prison lowers recidivism rates and increases the likelihood the person will find a job post-incarceration. Currently, about 14,000 incarcerated individuals in the state are taking classes toward a college degree, or about 15% of the prison population.

At the Missouri Eastern Correctional Center, 10 individuals graduated from college with Associate Degrees as part of the Washington University Prison Education Project. Each student is required to have a high school diploma in order to apply, and must complete 60 credits to earn their degree. Beyond the provided education, the program has given incarcerated participants a sense of hope for their future.

Five Keys Charter School was the first in the U.S. to open in a jail. Now, the school operates a bus, or traveling classroom, that parks in San Francisco's most under-resourced communities to offer residents, many offenders, a second or third or seventh flexible chance at earning a high school diploma. Journalist Elizabeth Weil writes, "The school was created with the understanding that incarceration is part of life for their students." The director of the Bard Prison Initiative adds that Five Keys uses the infrastructure of jail “to do positive good rather than just mitigate harm.”

In 1968 Cal State founded the first Chicano studies program, which focused on the history of Mexicans and their relationship to the U.S. Since then, several universities followed suit. The program was also made possible through the activism of 15,000 students, who walked out of class in the historic East L.A. walkouts demanding a better education. While there are critics, educators believe these type of programs are beneficial to Hispanic students. “Now they have tools to understand the microaggressions they’ve experienced or the economic struggles in this society, and that they’re not the only ones.”

Project Rebound will create an office where formerly incarcerated students can receive tutoring, counseling on academics and financial aid. Seven California State University campuses are busy this summer putting the finishing touches on this program.

To help fix the hyper-competitive college application process, a coalition of universities are trying to develop a more equitable process. The coalition has developed a set of tools for students including a free app that helps provide straight-forward information about the application process to more than 600 colleges and universities, a "collaboration platform" where students can share their application materials and receive feedback from mentors or coaches, as well as virtual storage for students to save documents and work pertinent to their college application.