The Florida State University (FSU)/Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) Art Therapy in Prisons Program is contractually required to conduct an annual art exhibition of the participants' work. Originally to be held inside the institutions, it evolved into a single art exhibition at an annual state-wide conference for prison educators. This…

The empowering effect of higher education in a carceral environment is recognised globally as the most effective rehabilitative tool for reducing reoffence and promoting the reintegration of incarcerated individuals into society. While many researchers from the Global North have studied carceral education and accessibility, few of those studies…

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to have profound effects on U.S. society. However, one group that is often forgotten in the public health debate and that is especially vulnerable to the spread of the virus and its adverse consequences is the 1.2 million incarcerated adults in U.S. federal and state prisons. The COVID-19…

In this article, the two authors talk about their vastly different trajectories that span international geographies and contrasting circumstances. By chance, their lives intersected in a music education program in an American prison. They trace their lifeworlds and how their musical engagement was a reciprocal learning experience for both of them.…

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the motivation for instructors to begin and continue teaching community college courses in carceral settings. Conceptual Framework: My conceptual framework presented public service motivation (PSM) and prosocial motivation as different types of motivation that lead to different types of…

Purpose: Our purpose is to demonstrate that duoethnography can be both a collaborative research methodology and a pedagogical strategy for robust learning practices in secondary carceral settings. These settings are defined as those classrooms serving youth whose movement is limited by either being confined to a facility or being excluded from all…

This descriptive action research study uses Transformative Learning Theory as a lens to view incarcerated education from the perspective of incarcerated individuals (I/Is). Data was collected from 19 participants using individual and focus group semi-structured interviews. The data analysis captured the voices and viewpoints of I/Is regarding…

Many schools and districts include character education in their curriculum, the content of which is decided on a local level. These programs flow through multiple grade levels and are often part of career planning. However, it is unknown if youth in juvenile residential placement facilities, who could benefit from these programs, are offered…

Transitioning back into society successfully after incarceration comes with its downfalls, but educational support could potentially address transitional success, especially for formerly incarcerated women. Previous research mainly focused on exploring education options and recidivism outcomes for formerly incarcerated men. There is limited…

Recidivism rates across the world remain high, and one of the key reasons for this situation is that people leaving the prison system have great difficulty in securing employment. Addressing this issue must be explored from a broad perspective, but one potential career option that is under-explored is self-employment, with few entrepreneurship…

Corrections education (CE) faculty Lauren Zavrel reflects on the vacuum of graduate-level programs and professional development (PD) that prepare teachers for the specific work of teaching adults in prisons and jails. Citing her own unique journey into the field of CE, similar stories from colleagues, and literature on the topic, she argues that…

This cluster-randomized efficacy trial evaluated the impact of the Ready for Wages intervention, a classroom-based social skills program designed to improve the employability of youth living and being educated in juvenile justice settings. Fifteen juvenile justice facility schools participated. Data were collected from 118 classrooms: 59 treatment…

This cluster-randomized efficacy trial evaluated the impact of the Ready for Wages intervention, a classroom-based social skills program designed to improve the employability of youth living and being educated in juvenile justice settings. Fifteen juvenile justice facility schools participated. Data were collected from 118 classrooms: 59 treatment…

College-in-prison programs are positioned to expand substantially under the reinstatement of Pell Grant eligibility for people in prison. While this change will enable more students who have been systemically excluded from higher education to attend college, degree completion is rare during incarceration and post-release. Student perspectives can…

The benefits of postsecondary degrees are striking for populations who have experienced incarceration, yet little is understood about how this population succeeds with educational attainment upon release from incarceration. This qualitative collective case study examined to what extent and how six formerly incarcerated individuals who started…