Formerly Incarcerated Students Are Humans First

On an unseasonably warm November weekend, people gathered on campus for a record clearing and expungement clinic organized by the Community College of Philadelphia Foundation. The event offered pro-bono legal consultations and support from community organizations providing social services, health care, financial services, and employment. There was free pizza from an award-winning shop, music, and even entertainment for kids. This was the 5th clinic held so far– in total, nearly 500 individuals have benefitted. 

That effort and others like it are essential services for basic needs in college. Yet the humanity of formerly incarceratedDr. Sara Goldrick-Rab students is too often marginalized, even overlooked, in campus programs addressing issues like food and housing insecurity.  That is largely because these justice-impacted students are often invisible to educators, their identities simply erased. 

Being members of an “unprotected class” (a term used by Dr. Joe Louis Hernandez) limits the potential for higher education to transform the lives of people affected by the justice system. The lack of protection often shows up in both subtle and unsubtle ways. For example, like many off-campus housing programs, college emergency housing programs often exclude students who have been convicted of a crime, while public benefits outreach activities rarely recognize that several key programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF), are sometimes unavailable to people with felony drug convictions. That’s a leading reason why formerly incarcerated individuals are ten times more likely to experience homelessness than the general public, and why they are more than twice as likely as other students to experience homelessness during college. Yet it’s uncommon to find college basic needs advocates calling for reforms. The absence of outcry speaks volumes, reinforcing the notion that the presence of these students on campus is tolerated rather than embraced. 

With the reinstatement of Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated students in July 2023, approximately 760,000 incarcerated people can have college dreams.  There are more than 400 Higher Education in Prison programs throughout the country, and that is good news since students who participate in college while incarcerated are 48% less likely to return to prison after release compared to their peers. 

For the roughly 600,000 people released from prison annually, further education following release is a proven pathway to stability and opportunity.  For returning citizens, the benefits of college extend beyond academics. Education empowers them to understand their experiences and identify opportunities for reform, as seen with UC Berkeley’s Underground Scholars Initiative. Attending college after prison increases voter participation, with degree holders far more likely to vote, helping reclaim their civic voice. A degree also significantly enhances employment opportunities, raising the chances of securing better-paying jobs and helping overcome the mark of a criminal record. Higher education post-incarceration also expands individuals’ social networks and promotes their health and well-being.Joshua Williams