Almost 650,000 men and women, approximately the size of the city of Memphis, TN, return home from prison every year. Oftentimes with some pocket change and a bus ticket, they reenter society and struggle to find work, housing, a supportive social network. Economic barriers, the stigma of a felony conviction, and mental health and addiction challenges make reentry a bleak picture, leading some to return to a life of crime. A Department of Justice study of 404,638 inmates in 30 states released in 2005, for example, identified that 68 percent were rearrested within 3 years and 77 percent within 5 years of release. Education and workforce readiness programs must be central components in better preparing individuals to successfully reenter society - and stay out of prison. This book compiles chapters written by individuals on the right and the left of the political spectrum, and within and outside the fields of prison education and reentry that address this need for reform. Chapters feature the voices of prominent national figures pushing for reform, current and former students who have benefitted from an education program while in prison, those teaching or managing educational programs within prison, and researchers, entrepreneurs, and policy influencers.
Foreword Acknowledgements Introduction Gerard Robinson and Elizabeth English Smith Chapter 1- The Long History of College in Prison Max Kenner Chapter 2- The Economics of Prisoner Re-Entry Stan Veuger and Daniel Shoag Chapter 3- Second Chance Pell Pilot Program: From Policy to Practice Andrea Cantora Chapter 4- Reentry Programs, Evaluation Methods and the Importance of Fidelity Nancy La Vigne Chapter 5- The Legal Case for Education in Prison Ames C. Grawert Chapter 6- Young Men's Initiative: Nine Lessons for Elected Officials, Investors, and Criminal Justice Advocates Linda Gibbs Chapter 7- Collateral Damage: The War on Drugs and the Impact on Women, Children, and Families Renita L. Seabrook Chapter 8- The Importance of Work Will Heaton Chapter 9- Entrepreneurs, Innovation, and New Opportunities to Reform Criminal Justice Thomas Stewart Chapter 10- Student Voices Karen Jones, Brian Amaro, Salih Israil, Marcus Lilly, and Michelle Jones Conclusion Gerard Robinson and Elizabeth English Smith About the Editors About the Contributors
