31.011 - College in Prison: A Necessity in Moving "Toward Justice"

Session Type: Invited Speaker Session

Abstract

Since passage of the 1994 Omnibus Crime Bill, which stripped prisoners of eligibility for Pell Grants, almost all college-in-prison programs have closed their doors. That unfortunate and unjust act – initially proposed by Senator Jesse Helms (R., N.C.) and signed into law by President Bill Clinton – was irrational. Going to college in prison is cost effective and benefits children, families, and communities as well as the people being educated. In this session, the speakers will describe the need for college in prison as well as its costs and benefits. All the speakers are directly involved in college in prison programs and will speak from their experience teaching in prisons, working with formerly released prisoners, and advocating for college in prison.

Sub Unit

• AERA Presidential Session

Chair

• Ellen Condliffe Lagemann, Bard College

Papers

• College in Prison: Past, Present, and Future - Ellen Condliffe Lagemann, Bard College

• National Replication: Divergent Models of College in Prison - Daniel Karpowitz, Bard College

• The Importance of a Reentry Support as Part of College in Prison - Jed B. Tucker, Bard College

• Education Justice: Program, Policies, and Practices - Rebecca Ginsburg, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Discussant

• Craig Wilder, Massachusetts Institute of Technology