What Works in Reentry Education:
The Researcher’s View
February 2, 2016
Michelle Tolbert
RTI International
What Do We Know?
2+ million
incarcerated
adults
Cycle of
Recidivism
Within 3 years,
50% are
reincarcerated
700,000
released
annually to
communities
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3
Reentry Challenges
 Criminal record
 Substance abuse
 Physical and mental health issues
 Lack of housing and transportation
 Insufficient support network
 Lack of marketable skills and credentials
 Inability to find and keep a living-wage job
 Lack of motivation and confidence
4
What Strategies Lower the Recidivism Rate?
2+ million
incarcerated
adults
Reentry
programs
Productive
community
member
Cycle of
Recidivism
Within 3 years,
50% are
reincarcerated
700,000
released
annually to
communities
5
Evidence Base for Reentry Education
 Systematic review identified
studies from 1980 to 2011
 Meta-analysis used
rigorous analytical methods
 Focused on three
outcomes: recidivism,
post-release employment,
reading/math scores
6
Evidence Base for Reentry Education—
continued
 Correctional education
participants are 43% less
likely to recidivate than
nonparticipants
 Correctional education
participants are 13% more
likely to be employed postrelease than nonparticipants
 2008 recession substantially
decreased correctional
education budgets
Fuse – Thinkstock | © viperagp - Fotolia.com
7
Evidence Base for Reentry Education—
continued
$1
$970K Cost Savings
$3.25m
For every $1 spent on
correctional
$2.28m
$5
there is a $5 savings
Correctional
Education
No
Correctional
Education
3-Year Reincarceration Costs
8
“The debate should no longer be about whether
correctional education is—or is not—effective or costeffective; rather, the debate should focus on where
the gaps in our knowledge are and on opportunities
to move the field forward.”
9
National Reentry Education Initiatives
Reentry Education
Model
Implementation
Study of the
Reentry Education
Model
Improved Reentry
Education
Juvenile Justice
Reentry Education
Second Chance Pell
Pathways from
Prison
to Postsecondary
Education
The Foundation for the
REENTRY EDUCATION
FRAMEWORK
Initiatives Focused on
POSTSECONDARY
EDUCATION
10
11
Program Infrastructure
12
Strategic Partnerships
13
Education Services
14
Transitions
15
Sustainability
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Student Perspective
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Pathways from Prison to Postsecondary
Education
PILOT FOCUS
Prison
TWO
YEARS
BEFORE
RELEASE
TWO
YEARS
AFTER
RELEASE
Community
Potential Postsecondary Education Degree or Credential Attainment Point
18
Pathways Evaluation Phases
Phase I
Evaluation Planning and
Implementation Study
 Conducted from
April 2013 to October 2014
Phase II
Outcomes and
Impact Studies
 Will start in mid-2016
 Evaluators conduct outcomes and
impact study
 Vera conducts cost-benefit analysis with
input from evaluation team
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Pathways: Lessons Learned—Program
Infrastructure
 State and administrative
policies
 Facility culture
 Communication with facility
leadership and staff
 Instructor training and
support
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Pathways: Lessons Learned—Student
Supports
 Education and career
counseling
 Reentry planning
 Communication and
transparency
 Learning environment
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Pathways: Student Motivation
“I’m 17 years in and I’ll be 19 years in when I get out. The
whole world will be different and it will be a total shock.”
“Take advantage of these opportunities. Once you start you
may not have the right motivation, but as your self-esteem
builds, your motivation will only get bigger.”
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