Reports and Research

This project is from the National Association of Higher Education Systems (NASH), in partnership with the State University of New York’s Office of Higher Education in Prison (SUNY OHEP). NASH and SUNY OHEP wish to thank the Ascendium Education Group for generously funding this research. The authors gratefully acknowledge the students, administrators, and system-level leaders who participated in this study. Their willingness to share their experiences was essential to this work. All participants remain anonymous throughout this report. This study was approved by the SUNY Institutional Review Board, #STUDY00006202.

This report describes the demographics of California’s incarcerated and paroled populations and identified five challenges to help people move from prison to college.

An evaluation of student support during and after incarceration from the Vera Institute of Justice.

Justice impacted students in California community colleges are succeeding academically across multiple dimensions. In particular, justice impacted students are achieving greater success and similar if not higher grades compared to their main campus counterparts. For a rundown on this data and more, read our new report by Rebecca Silbert and Debbie Mukamal.

Unlocking the Bar: Expanding Access to the Legal Profession for People with Criminal Records in California by Caroline Cohn, Debbie A. Mukamal, and Robert Weisberg identifies and examines the barriers to joining the California State Bar for individuals with criminal records and provides recommendations for expanding access for qualified applicants. This study is a joint project of the Stanford Criminal Justice Center and the Stanford Center on the Legal Profession at Stanford Law School.

Equity and Excellence in Practice: A Guide for Higher Education in Prison by Tanya Erzen, Mary R. Gould, and Jody Lewen documents the key characteristics of high-quality prison higher education programs, and informs stakeholders in the field, including new and experienced practitioners seeking to achieve equity and excellence in their work, policy leaders, philanthropy, and others. This study is a joint project of the Prison University Project and the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison.

The course catalog is organized by college and lists the institution, course offering, class meeting time, number of students enrolled, whether the course leads toward a degree, and whether the course units are transferable.

This report from the Vera Institute of Justice and the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality presents evidence that recommends a repeal of the federal ban on Pell Grants for people in prison. The report details an array of benefits that postsecondary education in prison programs could have on individuals, communities, and the economy.

“Inmate Education: Encouraging Results from Pilot Program” is a 2018 Chancellor’s Office report submitted pursuant to Senate Bill 1391 (Hancock, 2014)

This report applauds California’s growth, explores how it happened, and calls on the state to ensure quality and sustainability.