Reentry in Motion: Education Behind Bars

In a report by the Center for American Progress, more than 2.3 million people are incarcerated in the United States. Research shows that imprisonment devastates communities and families, causing psychological and developmental effects that touches 2.7 million children under 18 who have at least one parent in prison. The devastation is revealed in the form of delinquency, poor school participation, family and economic troubles, and stress and trauma induced mental illness. The high number of incarcerated people is also causing the U.S. economy to lose an estimated $60 billion per year from loss of labor.

The Prison Policy Initiative found that a little over half of formerly incarcerated people have a GED, and a quarter have no high school diploma. Returning citizens also experience a 27% unemployment rate which is even higher for those with no education.

The pathway to economic advancement, the end of intergenerational incarceration, and the increase in the self-esteem among imprisoned people, may be realized through education. For more information, click on the link attached to this posting.