Announcing the New England Commission on the Future of Higher Education Behind Bars
When Daryl (name changed for confidentiality) first came to prison, he had an eighth grade education and was tested as reading at a third grade level. He was constantly enraged, and continuously in trouble. Slowly, through years spent in restricted housing, it dawned on him that his life was going nowhere. Daryl began to read and eventually he decided to go for his GED. After completing that, Daryl enrolled in college classes. His entire conception of himself changed. All of the mental power he'd put into breaking the law was now shifted to thinking about his life and about the world. Typical of incarcerated college students he said, "When I'm in class, I'm not in prison." But the change went beyond that: He and other incarcerated college students now spend their time in their cells debating big ideas. Even the men who are not taking college classes have begun to read books and discuss them. As Daryl and the other college students evolve, so does the prison culture around them. Daryl is now one course away from being a college graduate. A sleeping intelligence was awakened and a person was given a purpose in life. College in prison changes lives like no other intervention.
One of the most effective ways to reduce recidivism rates is to provide educational programming to incarcerated people. Consequently, providing effective paths to education to all people reduces incarceration rates.
The New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) and The Educational Justice Institute (TEJI) at MIT announce the launch of the New England Commission on the Future of Higher Education Behind Bars.
The Commission, funded with a $250,000 grant from the Ascendium Foundation, will formally convene approximately 60 individuals throughout New England who represent key stakeholders, including: postsecondary and corrections leaders, current and previously incarcerated individuals, employers, legislators and governors.
All six commissioners/directors of corrections in New England have committed to being members in this endeavor. Commissioners Angel Quiros from Connecticut, Randall Liberty from Maine, Carol Mici from Massachusetts, Helen Hanks from New Hampshire, Patricia Coyne-Fague from Rhode Island and Nicholas Deml from Vermont, will all join the Commission with the support of their respective departments of corrections.
NEBHE and TEJI will present the goals of the Commission to other Northeastern state commissioners or directors of corrections at the Correctional Leaders Association annual meeting in Newport, R.I on September 7.
The Commission will collaborate with partners and experts to convene multi-state conversations engaging key prison education providers and stakeholders to:
Consider testimony and presentations from subject-matter experts, scholars, stakeholders and policy innovators
Analyze data related to the completion of prison education programs and how postsecondary education impacts the economic and overall success of incarcerated individuals, their states and communities
Explore collaborative, multi-state models for increasing the effectiveness of prison education programs (in-person and online) through policy reform and alignment, including protocols for the transfer of credits after release from incarceration, better integrated credential pathways, and the assessment of skills and competencies leading to the award of academic credit.
Problems to confront
More than 201,800 people are incarcerated, on parole or on probation in New England. Incarcerated people who participate in higher education behind bars are 48% less likely to recidivate than those who do not, according to a report by the national organization Vera Institute of Justice.
National studies have highlighted that while many prison education programs have profound impacts, their effectiveness is increased by aligning resources, stakeholders and policies.
For example, turnover and transfer between prisons and jails results in many incarcerated students being unable to finish courses and degree programs. Additionally, the Covid-19 pandemic altered the delivery of prison education, as incarcerated students could now be taught via synchronous distance learning, which provided new access to technology and allowed for the delivery of interstate distance education programs.
Another challenge is that formerly incarcerated individuals are less likely than their non justice-involved peers to be employed due to hiring stigma and a lack of industry-recognized credentials upon release, even as many New England states face labor shortages.
These challenges require policymakers, departments of correction, higher education institutions, business leaders and formerly and currently incarcerated individuals to come together to maximize the region’s human capital potential, ensure workforce productivity and improve the wellbeing and generational success of justice-impacted residents and families.
Additionally, the Commission is working to figure out the key ways to implement high quality postsecondary education behind bars ahead of the Pell re-release to incarcerated students in July of 2023. After this point, it is anticipated that many higher education institutions will start working behind the wall, and it is imperative that there are guidelines and goals ahead of this influx of postsecondary involvement.
"Key areas for Commission investigation will include credential completion, time to degree, labor market success and upward socioeconomic mobility," said NEBHE President and CEO Michael K. Thomas. "While the Commission’s origins are regional, it seeks to catalyze a national initiative and assume a broader leadership role in the United States."
“The higher education resources in New England are legendary. By bringing the players together in education, corrections and workforce development, this Commission will build the foundation for turning prisons into schools and efficiently and humanely coordinating existing educational resources in the region in an integrated system of educational opportunity for the justice system-involved people,” said Lee Perlman, a project partner at MIT’s TEJI. “We believe this will create a national model for changing lives through education.”
“Providing quality education during incarceration is the best indicator of successful reentry,” said Carole Cafferty, a project partner at TEJI. “The pandemic has necessitated the use of technology in carceral settings such as the incorporation of remote synchronous classrooms,” she added. “This shift has led to the improvement of digital literacy skills and the increased ability to scale offerings, while serving as a fiscally sound solution to address mass incarceration. The Commission will convene stakeholders and subject matter experts to identify and share smart solutions such as remote synchronous learning.”
Commission work
The New England Commission on the Future of Higher Education Behind Bars will work for approximately 12 months.
Commission meetings will feature presentations and testimony from national and regional experts, including prison education program administrators, regional legislators, industry leaders invested in supporting formerly incarcerated employees, and formerly incarcerated students themselves.
The final meeting of the Commission will include the release of a formal report that provides specific recommendations for state policy and higher education institutions, departments of correction, public-private partnerships and multistate or regional initiatives. The resulting report will be widely shared with the public, media and other key stakeholders and organizations—and promoted as a catalyst for driving policy and institutional change.
“We share NEBHE’s commitment to expanding postsecondary education in prisons and we’re excited for the opportunity to bring together high-level leaders from across sectors who aren't often brought to the same table. We are pleased to support this commission and look forward to its recommendations,” said Ascendium Senior Program Officer Molly Lasagna.
Contact Info:
John O. Harney, Executive Editor, The New England Journal of Higher Education
617-842-1284
Lee D. Perlman, Ph.D. Co-Director, The Educational Justice Institute at MIT
(978) 369-4530