Publication

 January 2019

Investing in Futures Economic and Fiscal Benefits of Postsecondary Education in Prison

Investing In Futures Square

Overview

Efforts to build robust postsecondary education programs in prison have accelerated in recent years, with support from a broad range of groups from correctional officers to college administrators. This report, which is the result of a collaborative effort with the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality, describes how lifting the current ban on awarding Pell Grants to incarcerated people would benefit workers, employers, and states. Specifically, it analyzes the potential employment and earnings impact of postsecondary education programs in prison; identifies the millions of job openings annually that require the skills a person in prison could acquire through postsecondary education; and estimates the money states would save through lower recidivism rates these postsecondary education programs would yield.

Key Takeaway

Federal policymakers should right a past wrong by restoring eligibility for Pell Grants to all qualified incarcerated people, thus making the projections in this report—of improved lives, a stronger workforce, and state fiscal savings—a reality.

Publication Highlights

  • With greater access to education in prison, formerly incarcerated people would reenter the labor market with competitive skills and qualifications, leading to higher rates of employment and increased earnings.

  • Businesses in expanding industries subsequently would have a larger pool of potential job applicants, making it easier to grow and hire a trained workforce.

  • States would also benefit as a greater number of formerly incarcerated people likely would successfully reenter their communities rather than become re-involved with the criminal justice system.

Key Facts

According to one analysis, a person’s median earnings prior to incarceration were 41% less than median earnings for workers who have not been incarcerated.
In data collected between 2012 and 2014, 64% of people (ages 18-74) incarcerated in federal and state prison had at most a high school degree or equivalent.
The majority of incarcerated people are academically eligible to advance to postsecondary level classes.
GCPI’s analysis estimates that expanding access to education in prison would result in a $45.3M increase in the combined earnings of formerly incarcerated workers during the first year after release.
As more people leaving prison find stable, good-paying jobs, research indicates that recidivism rates are likely to decline and save states a combined $365.8M a year.
A 2013 study from RAND found that the odds of recidivating were 48% less for people who participated in postsecondary education programs in prison.

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