Nothing about the study hall looks unusual — college students quietly busy themselves at desks, colorful educational posters decorate the walls, an aide tidies up while the supervisor looks on. But these students are wearing prisoner blues and their professors are scattered across the country, hundreds and thousands of miles away.
Mail-based correspondence college programs have long provided prisoners with opportunities to obtain an education while doing time — often the only opportunity. Yet earning a college education is one of the most effective pathways to reduce recidivism and help incarcerated citizens successfully reintegrate back into society, according to prison education advocates.
“Correspondence college has helped me establish a direction for my life,” said San Quentin H-Unit resident Ben Tobin. “After my release, I’m excited to keep going for an MBA, maybe even a law degree.”
Grant Young supervises the Voluntary Education Program at San Quentin and its drop-in study hall for independent college students. He agreed with Tobin’s sentiment, noting that correspondence college “gives students goals, allows them to focus, and helps them grow.”
Some prisons have in-person college programs, notably Mt. Tamalpais College at San Quentin and Cal State Los Angeles at Lancaster, but for most inmates, the only option for higher education remains correspondence programs.
For associate degrees, CDCR offers enrollment in Coastline Community College for all institutions, and some local community colleges for select institutions. Enrollment is typically free but is subject to lengthy waiting lists and risk-based prioritization. Their correspondence courses may not necessarily be transferable to bachelor programs.
Otherwise, incarcerated students must find independent correspondence programs run by properly accredited universities. To qualify for time-off credits, Young said, such programs must be approved by CDCR’s Office of Correctional Education (OCE) in Sacramento.
Importantly, independent correspondence programs are the only programming opportunity that does not require getting through a CDCR wait list or a risk-based prioritization process. Students can also largely continue studying in their cells during COVID outbreaks and other program shutdowns.
“You got the time while you’re doing time, so you might as well improve yourself,” said SQ resident Joseph “JR” Taylor. “Whether an associate degree, bachelors, vocational — it doesn’t matter. Just go for it.” Taylor earned a Ph.D. in social anthropology while incarcerated, a rare accomplishment.
The biggest downside is cost. Tuition typically ranges from $600 to $1,000 per class for independent programs. With expensive textbooks included, a two-year college degree will total around $12,000 to $22,000. This high cost is insurmountable for many aspiring incarcerated students.
“I have family support,” Tobin said. “But many don’t, and money should not be the determining factor.”
Fortunately, aid is on the horizon as incarcerated students will once again be able to apply for federal Pell Grants beginning in the 2023/2024 funding cycle. This grant covers the full cost of attendance for undergraduate degrees, paid directly to the college of enrollment.
However, incarcerated students are facing uncertainty about the return on investment for their hard-earned college classes given CDCR’s recent proposal to change Milestone Completion Credits. If the changes are finalized as proposed, the time-off credit for each three-unit college class would decrease from three weeks to one, regardless of the level of rigor required. The separate credit award for completing a degree would remain unchanged.
Correspondence Colleges
The top independent college correspondence programs for incarcerated students are listed below. This list is derived from the Prison Education Guide (2016) and College for Convicts: The Case for Higher Education in American Prisons (2014) by Christopher Zoukis, a formerly incarcerated student.
The North Central Association of College and Schools accredits the following programs, and all are approved by CDCR’s Office of Correctional Education (OCE). Textbooks are not included in the cost of tuition. Exams are proctored in-person through your local institution’s education department. Class extensions are generally allowed, but this will likely preclude registering for further classes until completed. Printable Pell Grant application forms are available at fafsa.gov starting on Oct. 1, 2022.
Adams State University 208 Edgemont Blvd. Alamosa, CO 81101
Various certificates, associate, and bachelor degrees offered, as well as a Masters in Business Administration (MBA). Each course costs $660. MBA courses cost $1,050. Only two MBA classes are allowed at a time.
Upper Iowa University 605 Washington St. PO Box 1857 Fayette, IA 52142
Various certificates, associate, and bachelor degrees offered. Courses cost around $1,000 each.
Colorado State University at Pueblo 2200 Bonforte Blvd. Pueblo, CO 81001-4901
Associate and bachelor degrees offered in sociology, psychology, criminology, and business only. Courses cost around $1,000 each.
Ohio University Haning Hall 102 Athens, OH 45701
Various certificates, associate, and bachelor degrees offered. Courses cost around $1,000 each.
Regarding the proposed decrease, Tobin commented, “It’s problematic since it will act as another barrier for those like me that desperately need to overcome psychological barriers to college. I was afraid of school, but I realized it was the fastest way to get back to my family and that’s what got me started.”
Incarcerated student Steve Reitz believes that “the greatest source of motivation comes from within.” As a lifer, these credits will not directly result in time-off from his indeterminate sentence, but he feels that such programming accomplishments “should translate to higher rates of suitability from the (parole) board, but I’m not sure that it does. Maybe that’s something that needs to be looked into.”
The importance of milestones is not lost on Young, but he encourages “students who are serious about earning degrees to consider milestones simply as perks along the way.” He emphasized the value of all that you will learn and the sense of accomplishment you will feel when you are done.
“One of the biggest challenges for adult learners is slaying the ghosts of past failures,” Young said. “Success begets success, and it gets easier as you go and your confidence builds.”
Tobin knows about such ghosts. He said college has allowed him “to overcome past psychological obstacles about believing I was stupid… and this has changed my whole attitude. I’m currently a straight-A student, and now I believe I can do anything I put my mind to.”
Tobin explained the primary challenge he faces now is not having access to a computer to type, save, and print or email his assignments. He has suffered when some of his handwritten assignments have been lost in the mail.
Reitz has experienced similar difficulties. He emphasized how difficult it is for him to hand-write assignments given a learning disability, and he is certain he is not the only one.
“Laptops for college students would be great,” he said. “But we desperately need access to at least a word processor and a printing station as soon as possible in the meantime.”
Nevertheless, Reitz is pleased to have earned undergraduate degrees through correspondence college programs and is currently pursing a MBA. He is confident that whenever his day of release from prison may come, he will be able to overcome the obstacles of being a former convict and become a contributing member of society, thanks to his college education.
“For a young man just starting prison,” Reitz said. “I would like to pass on the advice that changed my life: Accept the limitations of prison, but realize that opportunities for personal growth do exist.”
Editors Note: The author is enrolled in a correspondence college program
