R Street Institute

Policy Studies Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties

Postsecondary Education in North Carolina Jails and Prisons

by Jesse Kelley
May 1, 2019
Download PDF Print

Key Points

Increasing access to higher education in prisons is key to successful criminal justice reform.
Postsecondary correctional education prepares incarcerated people to re-enter the workforce on more equal footing, thereby providing additional opportunities and a higher likelihood of securing and maintaining lasting employment, a major obstacle for individuals re-entering society.
For every $1 spent on providing programming, $5 is saved in future incarceration costs, because the likelihood of recidivism decreases when those re-entering society have more education.

The pursuit of higher education is perhaps the most worthwhile use of time for those incarcerated. Educational programming within prisons and jails can change the way individuals serve their period of incarceration and help them to become employable, stable members of society upon release.

Press release: R Street Policy Short No. 70: Postsecondary Education in North Carolina Jails and Prisons

Featured Publications