Incarcerated Students and the Unintended Consequences of a Technology-Driven Higher Education System

Introduction

In 2005, 44 states were offering some form of postsecondary education to offenders, from vocational programs and certificates to full baccalaureate degrees. The impact of these partnerships, while small in scope, benefits citizens in the form of safer communities and a reduced tax burden (Erisman and Contardo, 2005). Research has consistently documented that offenders taking postsecondary college courses leading to an associate’s degree or higher are significantly less likely to re-offend after release; on average, recidivism rates are reported to be up to 46% lower than for those who had not enrolled in college courses (Chappell, 2004).

This chapter is a case study of an interagency partnership between a state department of corrections and a state university and the role that technology played in furthering their commitment to providing postsecondary correctional education to offenders. Technology played a two-fold role in this partnership; on one hand, the increase of online learning decreased the accessibility of college courses that had formerly been provided through correspondence study. Conversely, technology facilitated the development of quality print-based courses and provided timely, cost effective delivery and communications between physical institutions, which ultimately made the educational process work.