August 20, 2024
Collaborative policymaking and stakeholder engagement are vital to expanding high-quality higher education in prison programs, ensuring equitable access, improving outcomes, and fostering statewide legislative action for program success and student support.
Sustaining and expanding high-quality higher education in prison (HEP) programs requires collaborative, statewide policymaking. Stakeholders in this field must work closely with state policymakers to advance legislative action plans that foster program success and support students. Illinois policy developments highlight the importance of cooperation across programs and strategic engagement with legislators and state officials. As the policy and research director for the Education Justice Project (EJP) and a campaign member of Freedom to Learn (FTL), I have seen firsthand the power of HEP and the need for stakeholder engagement in policy development to advance the field.
Clear and fair policies are essential for ensuring equitable access to postsecondary opportunities, improving incarcerated students’ learning outcomes, and promoting efficient resource use. While policy recommendations will vary by state, the following suggestions can help HEP leaders and advocates design a plan tailored to their state’s unique context. Note that these recommendations are not sequential but rather represent four elements that stakeholders can and should pursue simultaneously and iteratively.
In 2019, Illinois Department of Corrections staff members removed over 200 books from the EJP library at the Danville Correctional Center without advance notice or explanation. EJP saw this as a troubling sign of restricting access to reading materials for incarcerated people and a strong indication of a system failing to support higher education in prison. Conversations with other Illinois prison educators and advocates revealed that such challenges were widespread and required a statewide solution.
In response, the FTL campaign was launched to advocate for legislation that allows HEP programs to flourish. FTL members, many of whom are directly involved with these programs as educators or alumni, have led several of the Illinois policy efforts to ensure that the academic pursuits of incarcerated students are protected and promoted.
A critical first step to developing policy recommendations to support incarcerated scholars is assessing obstacles and opportunities. Only with an in-depth understanding of best practices and the landscape of existing programs and policies within the state is it possible to craft an effective, well-informed action plan.
Two significant developments in Illinois played a key role in HEP advocates’ and leaders’ ability to assess obstacles and opportunities:
When assessing obstacles and opportunities in your state, ask these questions: What programs are currently being offered? What opportunities are there to expand what’s working well and improve on what isn’t? What are some of the challenges to expanding access to high-quality higher education in prison to more students? What changes are necessary to address these challenges?
If you’re unsure of where to start, check out the Council of State Governments Justice Center’s Laying the Groundwork report or the Vera Institute of Justice’s The First Year of Pell Restoration report. Then start having conversations with others in your state about the appropriate mechanism for conducting a comprehensive evaluation. A task force is just one option for assessing the landscape of higher education in prison in your state. Other options include a commission or coalition, an independent consultant or external advisor, student researchers, or independent studies, among others. Consider what resources your university already has that you might be able to take full advantage of in support of this inquiry.
Crafting well-informed policy recommendations and gaining support for them requires HEP leaders and advocates to build relationships and break down barriers between education and corrections institutions. Relationships are the foundation for collaboration that fosters open dialogue between all stakeholders and supports the development, negotiation, and implementation of effective policy solutions.
Initial relationship-building in Illinois focused on connecting HEP educators, administrators, and students, who have valuable insights based on their firsthand experience with higher education in prison. To foster these relationships, several HEP programs in Illinois came together to create the Illinois Coalition for Higher Ed in Prison (IL-CHEP) in 2016. IL-CHEP initiated the development of a collective response to the book banning that came to light in 2019, and it continues to host quarterly meetings with HEP programs and the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Connecting with existing education and corrections partners is just the beginning. As you determine which stakeholders to engage, consider the following potential next steps:
We must center current students of HEP programs in our policy work by finding ways to elevate their voices and experiences in service of tackling obstacles and harnessing opportunities in each state. An effective push for equitable access to resources and enhanced learning outcomes requires educating, empowering, and consulting students to ensure that they can actively engage in collaborative policymaking.
Multiple HEP programs in Illinois include think tanks and policy discussion groups that equip students to conduct in-depth research and policy analysis related to HEP and allied topics. For example, EJP hosts a monthly policy discussion group at the Danville Correctional Center that engages students in ongoing policy efforts and informs them of recent developments. We invite legislators and other state officials to meet with the group, thus centering student perspectives and giving legislators the valuable opportunity to expand their understanding of criminal justice issues.
Consider how your group can equip and engage students. What resources can you provide to support their learning about policy as a discipline and the particular policy landscape of HEP in your state? What channels are in place for receiving input and providing timely updates? What opportunities are there to bring legislators and policymakers in to speak with students directly?
Photo: EJP Policy & Research Team Members on one of our regular trips to Springfield, Illinois’ capital
If your group is fortunate enough to have legislative success, keep in mind that passing legislation is only the beginning. The 2024 collaborative policy agenda of Unlock Higher Education specifically points to the importance of prioritizing continued oversight to ensure the effective implementation of initiatives that support incarcerated and formerly incarcerated learners. Ensuring that legislation has the intended impact requires proactive planning for effective post-passage implementation and monitoring.
Collaborative and data-informed policymaking is critical to the long-term success of the HEP field because it has significant impacts on the entry of new programs, the ability to grow existing programs, and the creation of conditions for successful negotiation and collective problem-solving. As new resources are made available, we must stop, assess, and think about how best to invest them in ways that support a rich ecology of high-quality programs. It’s an exciting time for the field, and we must be intentional about adopting policy solutions that address statewide challenges and allow us to take advantage of statewide opportunities. While no two states are the same, these general recommendations can help prepare practitioners to engage in this important policy work.
To learn more about EJP’s Policy & Research Division, or to request additional assistance with crafting a legislative action plan in your state, email policy@educationjustice.net.
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