Dive Brief:
- The Virginia Department of Corrections has become the first to offer inmates in state prisons access to five career and technical education courses for college credit.
- WSLS 10 reports the courses in business, software applications, commercial arts and design, computer aided drafting, and digital print production are recommended by the American Council on Education’s College Credit Recommendation Service.
- Once inmates pass their courses, they’ll get transcripts to submit to colleges and universities, which will decide on their own whether to accept them.
Dive Insight:
A number of schools across the country partner with nearby prisons to offer college coursework to inmates. The Bard Prison Initiative allows individuals to earn a Bard College degree while serving time. California Community Colleges has a similar initiative, and Philadelphia Community College announced an effort this winter that will give people with nonviolent felony convictions a chance to choose college over prison.
The expansion of educational opportunities for inmates has been a pillar of President Barack Obama’s education agenda and it will be a big part of his legacy once he leaves office. His administration restored Pell Grant funding for eligible inmates, making the California program possible. Research shows inmates who make progress toward a degree while behind bars have a lesser chance of ending up in jail again, after being released.