In this From Incarceration to Reentry Report from the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Wayne Taliaferro, Duy Pham, and Anna Cielinski discuss correctional education programs, relevant legislation, and funding. The report includes some specific examples from California.
RAND Corporation conducted a meta-analysis to examine the association between correctional education and reductions in recidivism, improvements in employment after release from prison, and learning in math and in reading. A key finding is that individuals who participated in college programs while incarcerated had 51% lower odds of recidivating than those who did not.
Degrees of Freedom: Expanding College Opportunities for Currently and Formerly Incarcerated Californians, by Debbie A. Mukamal, Rebecca Silbert, and Rebecca Taylor is based on over 175 interviews, academic research, and historical investigation. The report profiles existing programs and identifies recommendations for California to take to build effective college pathways that will help these underserved students become college graduates.