In 2016, University X was awarded a grant to pilot Project Rebound. Project Rebound assist people who are formerly incarcerated navigate the admissions process and graduate from University X with bachelors or master’s degrees. The purpose of this research is to investigate the difficulty that the formerly incarcerated face when assimilating into a new environment far removed from the confines of prison. The current study will answer the questions: what does an effective reentry program look like at University X, and what interventions are most correlated with success? University X’s Project Rebound uses risk assessment instruments and focuses on behavioral outcomes. Using self-administered anonymous surveys, we will identify which interventions or programs are needed to develop a successful college reentry program for formerly incarcerated individuals. Our students require multiple services, which suggests a need for collaboration across other campus programs and county agencies.

The school to prison pipeline is a phrase used to describe the phenomenon where youth, and disproportionately African American males, are pushed out of public school systems into criminal justice systems. It hints at the possibility that incarceration is not a matter of chance, but often a structurally created and supported outcome. In order to understand the men most disproportionately impacted by the phenomena this study explores the narratives of twelve formerly incarcerated African American men. Structural racism, challenges of school integrations and criminal justice policies emerge as powerful influences on the life outcomes of formerly incarcerated African American men. This study goes beyond statistical accounts of racial disproportionality in the criminal justice system to deeply consider the voices of generations of formerly incarcerated African American men. Understanding the impact of the school and justice systems on the lives of African American men has implications for educators and policy makers. / text

This research examines the population of formerly incarcerated people as activists in the Formerly Incarcerated and Convicted Persons Movement. Applying a Personal Authority Framework, this work examines the role of race within organizing, the limitations of the voices of formerly incarcerated people, the role of the ally within the movement, the power that formerly incarcerated people do have and how they use it, and the necessary aspects and attributes of a movement. I conducted fourteen in depth interviews with formerly incarcerated individuals and their allies, all of which self-identified as activists. Given that the prison populations in the United States is the highest in the world, as is the populations of formerly incarcerated people, this work demonstrates the important role of activism in their lives and the importance of their personal stories and authority for an activist movement to be successful.

Formerly incarcerated students comprise a population that has been largely overlooked, when it comes to the recognition of their higher education promise and potential (Strayhorn et al., 2013; U.S. Department of Education, 2021). This lack of recognition contributes to the perpetuation of race- and class-based inequities and discounts the talents and potential of a multitude of individuals. In order to advance social justice and equity for this marginalized group, further exploration of their experiences with higher education is warranted. This exploration is increasingly timely, as the reinstatement of Pell eligibility for incarcerated students may place many more incarcerated individuals on a trajectory to continue pursuing their degrees at higher education institutions located outside of prison walls post-release. Although much research has been done on higher education courses offered in prison, relatively little is known about the experiences of formerly incarcerated students as they pursue higher education after prison release (Donaldson & Viera, 2021; Livingston & Miller, 2014; McTier et al., 2020b; Strayhorn et al., 2013).This qualitative study used the theoretical framework of social capital to explore the experiences of formerly incarcerated students as they have transitioned out of prison and into on-campus learning at institutions of higher education. The study was primarily aimed at obtaining a better understanding of the barriers and supports that formerly incarcerated students experience as they pursue higher education, focusing specifically on the ways in which they are able to cultivate a sense of belonging. Additionally, the study explored the motivations behind formerly incarcerated students’ decisions to continue pursuing higher education after their release from prison as well as their expectations for the future post-graduation. Data were collected through surveys, semi-structured, in-depth interviews with formerly incarcerated undergraduate and graduate students, and publicly accessible articles and video featuring the higher education experiences of formerly incarcerated students. Findings revealed that formerly incarcerated students’ decisions to continue higher education after prison were influenced by several factors, including personal transformations that led to the revaluation of higher education and the desire for better professional prospects after prison. Additionally, the decision to continue higher education was influenced by the acquisition of meaningful social capital that occurred through in-prison education. Connections to faculty members and fellow students made the task of earning a college degree on campus seem more attainable. Pertaining to barriers to experiencing a sense of belonging on campus, students who were formerly incarcerated dealt with culture shock during their transition from prison to on-campus learning; concerns over being stigmatized and perceived negatively by others; limitations and restrictions imposed on them by the halfway houses in which many of them lived; and a lack of shared experience with others on campus. Conversely, formerly incarcerated students found support and a sense of belonging in the context of the program in which they were involved, which offered them a sense of family and access to multi-faceted support services. Positive relationships with faculty also facilitated the cultivation of a sense of belonging among formerly incarcerated students, as did instances where they were able to leverage their life experiences in order to educate, inform, and mentor others on campus. Notably, the program provided various resources and opportunities to form meaningful connections with others, including other formerly incarcerated students, program staff, and faculty connected to the program. In this way, social capital acquisition—in the form of meaningful and supportive relationships fostered through the program—was most instrumental in facilitating a sense of belonging within their institution of higher education. Findings also showed that the higher education experiences of formerly incarcerated students had an overall positive effect on their perceptions of post-graduation opportunities. Through their higher education experiences, and more specifically through their time in the RISE-UP [a pseudonym] program, participants expanded their perspective on what they thought possible for themselves and gained confidence that their goals for the future were attainable. The program facilitated widespread networking and other opportunities for students, which led them to acquire a great deal of social capital. This social capital they acquired was most important in shaping their positive expectations for their post-graduation futures. As formerly incarcerated students are not a homogenous group, findings differed slightly based on factors such as gender, age, race/ethnicity, and campus attended. Findings of the current study show that in higher education spaces formerly incarcerated students have much to contribute but often face considerable barriers, particularly when it comes to establishing a sense of belonging. The findings have many important implications and suggest that by adopting certain policies and practices universities, administration, and faculty could help to better meet the needs of formerly incarcerated students and thereby increase their chances of academic, professional, and personal success. Future research should be conducted to further understand the experiences of diverse groups of formerly incarcerated students situated in various higher contexts. / Policy, Organizational and Leadership Studies

abstract: The United States accounts for only 4% of the world’s female population, but it is home to more than 30% of the world’s incarcerated women, the majority of whom will eventually attempt a successful reentry into society. Almost half of the incarcerated women in the United States have not obtained a high school diploma or equivalency, and only 31% have attempted some college, compared to 58% among the general public (Ewert & Wildhagen, 2011). There is ample evidence of the impact of a post-secondary degree on reducing recidivism and increasing reentry success. However, the Arizona Department of Corrections reports that of the more than 40,000 people incarcerated in November of 2019, only 5,333, or 12.5%, were involved in any type of educational programming while incarcerated (2019). Few studies have looked closely at the barriers to higher education for formerly incarcerated individuals, and even fewer have focused on women. The purpose of this qualitative action research study was to examine the educational experiences of formerly incarcerated women through the lenses of critical social theory (Freeman & Vasconcelos, 2010; Freire, 1970) and possible selves theory (Markus & Nurius, 1986) in an effort to more fully understand low educational attainment in this population and use this knowledge to develop an effective, participant-informed intervention and provide recommendations for university outreach programs. Study participants were formerly incarcerated women and individuals who work with this population. Data were collected from in-depth semi-structured interviews and materials created during the College After Prison Workshop which was developed for this project. Interviews revealed that the women in this study crave a sense of belonging, feel regret over their lost possible selves, experience a fear of standing still or going backward, and have a strong desire to help others. Findings suggest that colleges and universities can support formerly incarcerated women in the post-secondary system by curating a community of scholars and demonstrating a clear path forward for formerly incarcerated women by reducing systemic barriers. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Leadership and Policy Studies 2020

This study uplifted the stories of formerly incarcerated and/or system-impacted students attending a California community college (i.e., “Rising Scholars”) to provide qualitative context to a growing literature following the state’s promotion of support programs at the University of California (UC), California State University (CSU), and California Community Colleges (CCC) systems. This study interviewed six formerly incarcerated/system impacted Rising Scholars using a narrative inquiry methodology with a theoretical framework of Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Desistance theory to inquire about their educational experiences before and during their enrollment at an urban California community college with reentry support. Key themes in the interviews include trauma in early educational experiences, dropping out of college, the gendered experiences of formerly incarcerated women, the role of pregnancy and parenthood as a turning point, and authentic care expressed by the support staff. The narratives of the participants are offered as a counter-narrative to the quantitative neoliberal practice of justifying reentry programs based solely on reductions in recidivism rates. Recommendations include increasing trauma-informed pedagogy in TK-12 and Postsecondary education, recruiting and educating more allies for Rising Scholars on campus, ensuring that campus reentry support programs fully meet the needs of female Rising Scholars, and uplifting successes and scholarship by Rising Scholars to build lasting structural support for the Rising Scholars Network.

Unemployment among formerly incarcerated citizens is a complex problem that continues to grow. Previous reentry studies describe the collateral effects of incarceration on employment from the perspective of formerly incarcerated individuals, yet little academic research exists regarding reentry practitioners' perceptions of constraints during the job search process. Using Goldratt's theory of constraints as the foundation, the purpose of this case study of reentry and employment in a mid-Atlantic state was to explore from the perspective of practitioners, the types of constraints individuals with criminal records face during the job search process, the most difficult phase of the job search process, and recommendations on improving employment outcomes. Data for this study were obtained from 20 reentry professionals in Maryland, who completed an online, open-ended response survey. Data were inductively coded and subjected to thematic analysis procedure. The results showed that practitioners perceived the background check to be the most difficult phase in the job search process, and that external and environmental constraints such as employer bias and social stigma prevent individuals with criminal records from securing job offers. The results also showed that reentry professionals support automatic record expungement, record shielding, employer partnerships, and employment programming that provides job leads, resume building, and mock interview assistance. The positive social change implications stemming from this study include policy recommendations to policy makers to include centralizing and expanding the location of statewide employment centers, record shielding under the Second Chance Act, and fair education access through Ban-the Box for state colleges.