The Effectiveness of Education and Employment Programming for Prisoners

N

13

Correctional Education; Institutionalized Persons; Instructional Effectiveness; Employment Programs; Educational Attainment; Employment Potential; Recidivism; Outcomes of Education; Job Training; Access to Education; Released Time; Intervention

Inmates in American prisons are undereducated and underemployed. Compared to adults in the US, prisoners are at least three times more likely to be without a high school or general educational development (GED) diploma and four times less likely to have a postsecondary degree. Studies have consistently found that unemployment rates for prisoners, both before and after prison, are as high as 65 percent. And, even among those who are able to find a job, relatively few achieve consistent full-time employment. Would increasing prisoner access to programming lead to greater educational attainment and more employment? And, if US prison systems could improve educational and employment outcomes for prisoners, to what extent would it reduce prison misconduct and recidivism? This report addresses these questions by reviewing the available evidence on the effectiveness of education and employment programming for prisoners.

ERIC

2018

ED585975