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Am J Crim Just (2013) 38:457479
DOI 10.1007/s12103-012-9184-0
Marie Pryor & Douglas E. Thompkins
Received: 13 August 2012 /Accepted: 16 September 2012 / Published online: 30 September 2012# Southern Criminal Justice Association 2012
Abstract This article aims to identify barriers associated with correctional educations ability to produce social opportunity for the formerly incarcerated. This qualitative review of data collected in the Midwestern and Northeastern parts of the United States serves to better inform the literature surrounding correctional education, as to its positive and negative attributes, and sheds light on areas in which systematic improvements can be made. The goal of these independent but related studies is to investigate correctional educations role in the outcomes of reentry experiences of former prisoners with emphasis on employment and educational opportunities, including the effects of race on prisoner and staff attitudes toward correctional education. This article serves to inform policy and future research in regards to correctional education, mainly in its uses, implementations, and outcomes.
Keywords Correctional education . Race . Formerly incarcerated . Employment . Education . Social capital
Introduction
The advantages to having an education are boundless, especially for the formerly incarcerated; however, so are the barriers that often stand in the way of education producing intended outcomes for this population. Although educations contributions to increased public safety and lower rates of recidivism are substantial, this article is a discussion of the barriers, which hinder correctional educations ability to produce
M. Pryor
College of Health and Public Affairs, University of Central Florida, 4000 Central Florida Blvd, Orlando, FL 32816-1395, USAe-mail: [email protected]
D. E. Thompkins (*)
John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, 899 10th Ave, NYC, NY 10019, USAe-mail: [email protected]
The Disconnect Between Education and Social Opportunity for the Formerly Incarcerated
458 Am J Crim Just (2013) 38:457479
social opportunity for the formerly incarcerated. The emphasis on the unintended consequences of these barriers are informed by qualitative data from two studies conducted in two different states- one located in the Midwestern part of the United States and one in the Northeast. The data collected is from real life interviews with former prisoners, which was triangulated with other interview data including corrections officers and prison educators. In addition, focus group interviews were conducted with...