Prison Education Programs: Facts and Statistics

As of July 1, 2023, incarcerated individuals now have access to federal Pell Grants to put towards their education.^[7] The news comes nearly 30 years after the original Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 that excluded anyone serving time in prison from receiving federal financial aid.

This data report covers the Pell Grant timeline, incarceration costs, prison education programs, and prison education recidivism rates.

Pell Grants are federal financial aid packages based on exceptional financial need. Unlike loans, they do not typically have to be repaid.^[8]

Under Title IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965, incarcerated folks became eligible to receive Pell Grants to pay for college courses.^{Note Reference [2]} Pell Grants gave many incarcerated people access to postsecondary education they would not have otherwise been able to afford.

According to a historical overview by the American Enterprise Institute citing the Saint Louis University Prison Initiative:

Prison education program growth came to a sudden halt when the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 was signed. People serving time in prison were excluded from receiving Pell Grant aid despite the fact that incarcerated people took up just 0.006% of Pell Grant spending.^[9]

During this time, the number of people in prisons increased by nearly 450%, going from 17,000 incarcerated individuals in 1995 to 93,000 in 2000.^[10] This was due to new sentencing guidelines that increased minimum sentences for repeat offenders and gave out mandatory sentences.

Meanwhile, the number of prison education programs plummeted and nearly disappeared.

In 2015, the Obama-Biden administration launched a second chance program that piloted Pell Grants at specific universities. In 2020, Congress passed the act that would grant all incarcerated folks access to Pell Grants once again.

Nearly 30 years after the original ban, incarcerated individuals finally have access to federal financial aid to pay for higher education in prison as of July 1, 2023.

Incarcerated individuals often come from impoverished backgrounds. In 2014 dollars, they had a median annual income of $19,185 prior to their incarceration — 41% less than non-incarcerated adults.^[11] The gap in income prior to incarceration is also reflected in educational attainment levels. Many incarcerated individuals come with lower levels of educational attainment prior to incarceration.

Levels of educational attainment were much lower for those who were incarcerated.

Three in five incarcerated adults did not further their education level in 2014. This means nearly 60% of incarcerated adults had the same level of education they entered prison with.^{Note Reference [4]}

It is exceedingly rare for incarcerated folks to get their bachelor’s — to the point that the figure is virtually 0%.^{Note Reference [4]}

Learning more about a subject of interest and increasing job opportunities were the top two reasons incarcerated adults enrolled in an academic program in 2014 — accounting for 80% of all reasons.^{Note Reference [5]}

Those who wanted to participate in job training programs had similar top reasons.

Incarcerated adults’ reasons for not enrolling in an academic program varied widely. One in 10 did not have qualifications necessary to enroll, such as a GED.

Each year, over 700,000 incarcerated individuals are released from federal and state prisons. Roughly 280,000 — or 40% — of those who leave are expected to return within three years.^{Note Reference [6]}

Those who participated in education programs had a 43% lower chance of recidivating than incarcerated individuals who did not.^{Note Reference [6]} Participating in education programs also increased the chances of obtaining employment post-release by 13%.

While expanding access to education in prisons may lower recidivism rates, people may worry it will increase costs. The reality is that keeping people behind bars is more costly.

It cost an average of $106,131 to incarcerate an individual in a California prison in 2021-2022.^[12]

According to a 2014 report by the nonprofit research institution RAND Corporation, every dollar spent on correctional education saves taxpayers $5 on reincarceration costs.^{Note Reference [6]} This figure is likely much higher due to increased incarceration costs during the COVID-19 pandemic related to health and security.

Incarcerated workers typically make a few cents per hour or sometimes nothing at all. This makes paying for their own education a nearly impossible endeavor without outside help.

Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program founder and executive director Lori Pompa told BestColleges that it is very rare to have incarcerated students pay.

Course costs typically have to do with whether a student will be receiving college credit or not. If there is no credit involved, the class is essentially a free experience. The schools that are giving credit will sometimes outright pay for the credit or absorb the credit costs.

The cost of course materials is also covered in creative ways. Sometimes instructors will create reading packets and make them available to be printed. In one instance, people contacted publishers, shared details about the prison education program, and then got free copies of the book.

Colleges sponsoring prison education programs primarily run on private donations. This is the case with Pitzer College’s prison education program, which covers the costs of roughly $10,000 per student, per year.^[13] With federal aid becoming available, Pompa expects there to be a big rise in programs again.

Learn more about scholarships for prison education.

Even with Pell Grant access, other obstacles pose challenges for students in prisons.

Being transferred from one correctional facility to another, or being released from prison are common disruptors for someone in postsecondary prison education. In a rare instance, one formerly incarcerated student was able to finish their degree on the college campus after release.

As reported by the Georgia Public Broadcast, Inside-Out Program alumnus Kenny Butler was able to finish his degree on the Pitzer College campus after an anonymous donor covered his tuition and living costs — which came out to be roughly $30,000 per year.^{Note Reference [13]}

Access to the internet remains largely blocked in correctional facilities. According to a 2014 survey conducted by RAND Corporation:

This makes it difficult for incarcerated students to partake in research or contact their instructors for questions.

Even with an education, gaining employment remains a challenge for formerly incarcerated people. The Prison Policy Initiative puts the unemployment rate at around 60%.^[14]

According to a 2003 series of surveys conducted in four major U.S. cities, employers were more against hiring ex-offenders than any other marginalized group.^{Note Reference [6]}

There is a growing movement to ban the box, in which candidates would no longer have to reveal their criminal histories at the time of a job application. You can learn more about banning the box efforts by visiting the National Employment Law Project page.