1. A 2013 RAND report reviewed 50 studies and 32 years of research on education-in-prison programs. It found lower rates of recidivism among individuals who received prison education than among incarcerated individuals who did not. The report cited the following:
  2. According to a comprehensive survey of all 50 states from the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP), education in prison promotes better communication between incarcerated individuals and correctional staff and better race relations in prison.
  3. The IHEP report also recognizes that the education of adults who are incarcerated helps them be strong role models for their children, some of whom may enter the system if cycles of poverty are not broken.
  4. Finally, higher education programs in prison are bi-partisan. What makes them attractive to both red and blue states is that they work; they save money for the state, reduce prison numbers, and help people reach their full economic and human potential.