Transformative Edtech Solutions for Prison Learning Programs

Introduction

Research shows that education and training programs for people who are incarcerated can deliver a number of benefits. These include reductions in rates of recidivism and increases employment opportunities and wages for people who reenter the labor market when they complete their sentences.

However, postsecondary education and training programs in many prisons, jails, and other carceral settings across the country have waitlists, often because their offerings are limited and they have difficulty physically accommodating in-person classes in spaces that weren’t designed for learning. In fact, a 2019 New America report, which was based on an analysis of 2014 data, showed that, only about 20% of adults in prison participated in formal degree or certification programs.

There are number of digital tools, software applications, and tech platforms that can address those problems by, among other things, enabling remote and asynchronous learning and facilitating access to digital curricula and other educational materials and resources. Unfortunately, access to and use of education technologies in prisons and jails is currently quite limited.

In a 2023 survey of administrators, faculty members, and other staff of programs offering higher education in U.S. prisons, Ithaka S+R, a nonprofit research and consulting organization that supports academic and cultural institutions, found that most of the educational programming in prisons and jails is still provided exclusively in person: 24% of respondents across 36 states said their students who are incarcerated don’t have access to educational technologies of any kind; and in places where technology is available, it most commonly consists of not laptops or tablets but desktop computers, which can come with strict limitations on access and usage times.

In a rapidly evolving economy, this lack of access and exposure to technology limits not only the general educational opportunities for people who are incarcerated but also their ability to become familiar with the state-of-the-art tech tools that many employers are using—an educational shortfall in and of itself.

To get a sense of the potential impact further technology adoption could have on education and training experiences for people who are incarcerated, Jobs for the Future’s JFFLabs Insights initiative conducted and in-depth scan of the education technology (edtech) marketplace to identify hardware and software solutions, educational content, and consulting services that are well-suited for use in prisons, jails, and other carceral settings.

This market scan report is intended to be a resource for six categories of stakeholders—corrections officials, postsecondary leaders, employers, tech vendors and technologists, investors, and policymakers—who are interested in catalyzing the adoption of education technology in prisons and jails, either by working with other stakeholders and people who are incarcerated to design and implement new programs and solutions or by investing in or partnering with innovative companies that have the potential to grow and drive transformational change in this market.

About JFF Market Scans

At JFFLabs, we believe that innovation and technology, together with continued transformation of traditional systems and policy change, can revolutionize the learn and work ecosystem and, in turn, the ways in which we all live, learn, and work.

Our market scans are based on deep dives into innovation and technology landscapes, filled with solutions that are transforming learning and working. Our goal is to identify opportunities, trends, market dynamics, and impact investment insights. Those efforts yield market scans that feature mission-aligned companies and nonprofit organizations of all sizes, from seed-stage startups founded by inspiring innovators and entrepreneurs to growth-stage organizations that are already creating significant business value and social impact.

We review hundreds of organizations to assess their approach to and concern for social impact, and the traction their efforts have gained. We identify the most innovative and advanced technologies and programs connecting people to rewarding jobs and careers, valuable education and training opportunities, effective workforce and education systems, and equitable, resilient opportunities for economic security and mobility—at scale.

For more information about JFFLabs Insights, visit the Insights page on JFF.org.

The Business Case for Using Technology in Prison Education Programs

A growing body of evidence indicates that investments in training and education programs for people who are incarcerated can pay off in a number of ways.

For example, in a 2014 report, RAND said it had conducted a comprehensive examination of educational programs for incarcerated adults and young people and concluded that participants in such programs have lower rates of recidivism and are more likely to find jobs upon release than people who don’t take part in such programs.

Similarly, a 2023 meta-analysis of 79 research papers conducted by researchers from Middle Tennessee State University concluded that prison education programs are cost-effective for taxpayers, corrections agencies, and the economy generally. Writing in the American Journal of Criminal Justice, the researchers reported that people who had access to general education and vocational training while incarcerated had significantly lower odds of recidivism and higher odds of employment than peers without similar access.

Those findings and other market dynamics suggest that prisons, jails, and other carceral settings represent a potential growth market for edtech vendors and service providers.

Since the publication of the 2014 RAND report, emphasis on education in corrections facilities has increased. In addition, education and workforce leaders are well aware that digital literacy is critical to career success in today’s tech-enabled world. Nonetheless, a 2023 survey and a 2024 report from Ithaka S+R suggest that edtech remains underutilized in education and training programs for people who are incarcerated, meaning there’s unmet demand in that market.

And three more recent developments could drive further growth in demand: the restoration of Pell Grant eligibility for learners who are incarcerated; the rise in remote work and learning that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has spurred corrections officials to be more receptive to increased technology access within their facilities; and unprecedented levels of state and federal investments in expanding digital infrastructure.

Edtech providers seeking to offer their products in prisons and jails have an opportunity to expand in this largely underserved market. In addition to the factors discussed above, prisons in particular are likely to have a need to use technology in educational programs because they’re often in sparsely populated rural areas that can be difficult to access and are a long way from the nearest postsecondary institutions. More widespread edtech adoption would allow colleges and universities to serve far more students who are incarcerated than is possible through in-person instruction at facilities.