Prison Education-Workforce Programs

The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) launched a new, national initiative aimed at expanding access to quality postsecondary education for justice-impacted students across the United States. The initiative follows the reinstatement of Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated students in July 2023 — a pivotal policy shift opening new doors to educational opportunity. 

With support from Ascendium Education Group and in partnership with the Vera Institute for Justice, SHEEO is convening a one-year, multi-state learning community that includes Arizona, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, and Virginia. Through this initiative, states will work to evaluate relevant policies, remove barriers to access, and promote high-quality, workforce-aligned educational experiences for justice-impacted students. The effort will also work to strengthen collaboration among higher education agencies, corrections departments, and other key partners to build equitable pathways for incarcerated learners. 

Advancing Postsecondary Success for Justice-Impacted Students will support participating states in: 

• Assessing current prison education program (PEP) policies to identify gaps and opportunities; 

• Streamlining access to postsecondary education for incarcerated learners; 

• Aligning educational offerings with workforce needs to ensure credentials earned in carceral settings have labor market value; 

• And fostering stronger partnerships across sectors to sustain and scale these efforts 

If you have any questions about this initiative, please reach out to: miles.feroli@ky.gov.