Impact

The Scope of SLCC's Prison Education Program

We typically offer 12-15 classes per semester in the Fall and Spring, and offer 6-9 classes during Summer. We typically enroll 150-200 students in those courses. Even with the pandemic, which was particularly disruptive for prison education, SLCC's program has conferred 12 General Education Certificates of Completion and 16 Associate of Science degrees.

Societal Benefits of Prison Education

Recent studies that control for selection bias show that inmates who participated in a correctional education program while incarcerated had a 28-percent lower recidivism rate than individuals who did not. In addition, the effect is cumulative—the more education one receives while incarcerated, the lower the chances of reoffending and being reincarcerated. A RAND study conservatively estimated that every $1 spent on prison education saved taxpayers at least $4 in reincarceration costs.

Other Benefits

Inmates who receive an education have greater employment opportunities upon release and their transition back to society is more effective. By taking classes, inmates show their children perseverance and that they are charting a new life course. Education has benefits inside the prison as well. Inmates who participate in education programs commit fewer infractions. They also engage in educationally purposive and productive interactions across racial and ethnic lines, thereby reducing tensions. These impacts make work life easier for prison staff