Formerly incarcerated women students reported improved disciplinary behavior while participating in a prison college program¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · qualitative r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2018 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Women who participated in higher education in prison reported fewer disciplinary issues and improved behavior compared with their behavior before enrollment. → Jillian Baranger 2018 q2 i? A faculty member with long teaching experience in the program observed that women taking college classes had a stake in avoiding disciplinary programs and were less likely to get into trouble. → Jillian Baranger 2018 (2)

Evidence¶

Jillian Baranger 2018¶

Jillian Baranger, Danielle Rousseau, Mary Ellen Mastrorilli, James Matesanz. (2018). Doing Time Wisely: The Social and Personal Benefits of Higher Education in Prison. The Prison Journal. https://doi.org/10.1177/0032885518776380

q2 · i? · qualitative · r2

Semi-structured interview with a former student in the pilot qualitative study of the BU Prison Education Program at a women's prison. She reported still having "a few smaller disciplinary issues" but that her "behavior improved dramatically" after enrolling.

"She continued to say that while she did still have a few smaller disciplinary issues while taking college courses, she said it was “nothing like before” and that her “behavior improved dramatically.”"

Jillian Baranger 2018 (2)¶

Jillian Baranger, Danielle Rousseau, Mary Ellen Mastrorilli, James Matesanz. (2018). Doing Time Wisely: The Social and Personal Benefits of Higher Education in Prison. The Prison Journal. https://doi.org/10.1177/0032885518776380

q2 · i? · qualitative · r2

Faculty interview in the same pilot qualitative study. Michael, who had taught about 15 semesters in the program, described "a change in general comportment within the prison" among women taking college classes.

"Michael reiterated these ideas from his perspective as a teacher when he said, “there’s a change in general comportment within the prison…that women who take college classes have a stake in avoiding disciplinary programs."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Prison college participation was reported to increase institutional cohesion, including among non-participating incarcerated women — related
• All surveyed former students strongly agreed that prison college participation positively affected their lives, behavior in prison, and post-release lives — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)
• Former students reported positive changes in self-perception and self-confidence after participating in prison higher education — related
• Participants reported improved communication skills and faculty modeling of positive interpersonal interaction — related
• Prison higher education alone was reported as insufficient for post-release employment, with criminal-record and reentry barriers persisting — related