The upcoming school year is a big one for prison education.
As of July 1, more than 760,000 incarcerated people are eligible for free college paid for by the federal Pell Grant program. This change comes after Congress voted in 2020 to lift the ban on Pell Grants for incarcerated people.
Education behind bars has long been promoted as a way to increase employment opportunities post-release and provide social mobility for families. Students enrolled in postsecondary education programs are also 43% less likely to be reincarcerated.
As students around the country prepare for another school year, Prison Journalism Project has curated a list of stories by incarcerated writers about their experiences with education, both inside and outside the prison system.
“Education Behind Bars Unlocked New Meaning for Me” by Jesse Rinke: “It convinces me that an education is the sharpest weapon with which we prisoners can arm ourselves.”
“Bussed to a Black Junior High School” by Lawrence May: “I don’t recall being nervous or scared. I’d moved around a lot already. I figured I’d just adapt and adjust as I had when I changed schools in the past.”
“What We Learned in School” by Students at Miami Youth Academy: “I learned to never be scared to ask for help. Before, I was scared to ask, because I worried about what my peers would say. But now I do not have a problem with that.”
“‘Freedom Begins with a Book’” by Daniel Henson: “What do you think of when you think of prison? Most people say violence, but for me it’s books.”
“How Speaking Welsh Gave Me New Life in Prison” by Thomas Steres: “Learning Welsh in prison is challenging. There’s significantly less learning materials and resources for it compared to most languages. You’re also never going to find another Welsh speaker.”
“In California, Going to Class Can Mean a Shorter Prison Sentence” by Fabian Garcia: “A certain energy is generated from the start of a new semester for us incarcerated students. There’s the excitement and anticipation of knowing we’ll be intellectually challenged and get a shorter sentence as our reward.”
“There’s No Equality for Incarcerated Students With Disabilities” by Donovan Diego: “As a GED tutor, I don’t know how many of the men I work with would be eligible for an accommodation, but I expect the number is much higher than the number who actually get the support they need.”