This brief focuses on prison education and the role of community colleges in fostering access to postsecondary education for individuals who are incarcerated. The history of American prison education is a study in the central tension between punishment and rehabilitation. Various local and state prisons have provided education programs through other avenues of federal support. Much of the education of inmates beyond the high school diploma or General Equivalency Diploma (GED) level is geared to provide skills that can serve as a foundation to reintegrate individuals, post-incarceration, and to help them acquire the requisite skills--life, academic, and vocational--necessary for a successful transition from prison. Many of the postsecondary prison programs are delivered by community colleges. Community colleges are also a viable option for educational prison programming due to their open door policies and locale. Community colleges are often located in rural areas where prisons are also built. The close proximity between state and federal prisons and community colleges translates into ease of access for the educators delivering instruction. In closing, it is hoped this brief serves to provoke thought on the complex landscape of incarceration and the potential of community college research and practice to advance educational policy and social justice for a discounted population of learners.