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College Inside
13 posts
A biweekly newsletter about the future of postsecondary education in prisons. Written by Open Campus national reporter Charlotte West.
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The legal education edition
Twenty-eight years ago, 62 incarcerated students at the Louisiana State Penitentiary received certificates in paralegal studies and computer technology. They were the last class to graduate before Congress eliminated prisoners' eligibility for Pell Grants.
June 16, 2022
Hard choices in a ‘show-me world’
The theme of trade-offs has come up often. Do you transfer to a prison on the opposite side of the state to participate in a college program? Do you delay your petition for resentencing so you can graduate before you get out?
June 2, 2022
Who has been participating in Second Chance Pell?
New report shows white students overrepresented and Hispanic students underrepresented, compared to overall prison population.
May 19, 2022
A milestone in New York
The state became the second to repeal a ban on financial aid for people in prison. It might be a harbinger of things to come.
April 21, 2022
The prison credential dilemma
New research about the conundrum that many formerly incarcerated job seekers face: deciding whether to share the job training and educational certificates they did in prison.
April 7, 2022
Comeback stories
It took almost nine years and nine different prisons — violence, solitary, violence, solitary — before Danny would enroll in a college program.
March 24, 2022
The power of a single book
Most prisons have some kind of library, but incarcerated people report that the texts are outdated or they have limited access to them. Dozens of prison book programs work to fill the gap.
March 10, 2022
The power of narrative
How ethnic studies offers young incarcerated people a new story about their history and culture.
February 23, 2022
Calls for college for incarcerated youth
Several states, including New Jersey, Utah, and California, have made efforts to increase access to higher ed for incarcerated young people. The need partly stems from recent juvenile justice reforms that allow young adults to stay in youth facilities for longer.
February 9, 2022
Ban the box, not the books
Why college matters for people serving long sentences, a surprising barrier in Florida, and the power of reading.
January 26, 2022