Formerly Incarcerated Students Are Humans First

This post was originally published on this site.

On an unseasonably warm November weekend, people gathered on campus for a record clearing and expungement clinic organized by the Community College of Philadelphia Foundation. The event offered pro-bono legal consultations and support from community organizations providing social services, health care, financial services, and employment. There was free pizza from an award-winning shop, music, and even entertainment for kids. This was the 5th clinic held so far– in total, nearly 500 individuals have benefitted. 

That effort and others like it are essential services for basic needs in college. Yet the humanity of formerly incarcerated students is too often marginalized, even overlooked, in campus programs addressing issues like food and housing insecurity.  That is largely because these justice-impacted students are often invisible to educators, their identities simply erased. 

Being members of an “unprotected class” (a term used by Dr. Joe Louis Hernandez) limits the potential for higher education to transform the lives of people affected by the justice system. The lack of protection often shows up in both subtle and unsubtle ways. For example, like many off-campus housing programs, college emergency housing programs often exclude students who have been convicted of a crime, while public benefits outreach activities rarely recognize that several key programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF), are sometimes unavailable to people with felony drug convictions. That’s a leading reason why formerly incarcerated individuals are ten times more likely to experience homelessness than the general public, and why they are more than twice as likely as other students to experience homelessness during college. Yet it’s uncommon to find college basic needs advocates calling for reforms. The absence of outcry speaks volumes, reinforcing the notion that the presence of these students on campus is tolerated rather than embraced. 

With the reinstatement of Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated students in July 2023, approximately 760,000 incarcerated people can have college dreams.  There are more than 400 Higher Education in Prison programs throughout the country, and that is good news since students who participate in college while incarcerated are 48% less likely to return to prison after release compared to their peers. 

For the roughly 600,000 people released from prison annually, further education following release is a proven pathway to stability and opportunity.  For returning citizens, the benefits of college extend beyond academics. Education empowers them to understand their experiences and identify opportunities for reform, as seen with UC Berkeley’s Underground Scholars Initiative. Attending college after prison increases voter participation, with degree holders far more likely to vote, helping reclaim their civic voice. A degree also significantly enhances employment opportunities, raising the chances of securing better-paying jobs and helping overcome the mark of a criminal record. Higher education post-incarceration also expands individuals’ social networks and promotes their health and well-being.

However the transition to college is frequently difficult, so relatively few complete degrees. According to Ess Pokornowski, “Reintegrating students face a unique set of overlapping challenges: they are leaving a total institution where choice, communication, access to healthcare, access to technology, and opportunities for education and gainful employment are all dramatically limited. This fact amplifies the urgency of providing basic needs support for college students who are previously incarcerated, especially as the basic needs identified for student success dovetail with the most critical needs for reintegration.” 

It is no wonder that following dehumanizing and demoralizing experiences within the justice system, many formerly incarcerated people struggle to see themselves as valuable, let alone as students. Their trauma is exacerbated not only by systemic exclusion from opportunities and programmatic support but also by ungenerous and unfair treatment by faculty and staff.  If their past is known, they risk judgment– but if it isn’t known, then their behaviors are often incorrectly attributed to a lack of intelligence or will, rather than trauma. Thus, explicit recognition and specific programming for formerly incarcerated students is essential.  

That is why it is so important that CCP goes beyond expungement clinics and removes barriers to entry by also investing in the I Am More Reentry Engagement Program. Led by Luis “Suave” Gonzales, a Pulitzer-prize winner sentenced to life in prison when he was a teenager, that effort helps students with a wide range of college and living expenses, health and wellness, and related challenges. Across the country, the Rising Scholars Network in the California Community College system includes 83 campus programs and 24 prison programs. One of those, the Rising Scholars Program at Mt. San Antonio College, is directed by Dr. Hernandez, who marries his street knowledge with asset-based methodologies, ensuring that all participating students are treated as humans first and recognized as Streetwise Scholars. 

These efforts are about enhancing the educational experience and expanding the benefits of college for everyone. The results of bringing returning citizens to college extend well beyond those individuals. Millions of people who have never been incarcerated live in families, friendships, and communities with those who have (researchers estimate that almost half of all Americans have a family member who has been incarcerated). Hard-earned lessons and wisdom shaped by incarceration enrich college learning environments. Imagine learning about social norms, networks, and interactions in a classroom that includes students who can directly speak to the effects of total institutions, the ways social control can be manifested, and the complexity of human communication. Consider the interactions between a student who has never left home and one who lived apart from his children for years on end.  These relationships should be embraced as learning opportunities and cultivated for the potential to help all involved.

Colleges looking to expand resources for formerly incarcerated students need to know that help is available and collaboration is essential. Partner with state Departments of Rehabilitation to provide job training and employment support, technology resources, and even clothing. Community-based organizations such as Jovenes and Los Angeles Room and Board, and programs like the John Irwin House, demonstrate how it is possible to expand housing opportunities. Ithaka S&R’s review of college and community reentry partnerships offers many more examples. New opportunities emerge every day to transform the lives of justice-impacted individuals, and they are essential to the future of basic needs work on our campuses.  

In the words of Derrick A. Perkins, assistant Vice President of Student Empowerment and Equity Initiative at CCP, we must remember “We have always been the change we seek.”  We urge all colleges and universities to heed that call and join leaders including Education Trust, the National College Access Network, and others to move the basic needs field forward.

Joshua Williams is a former student affairs administrator, higher education consultant, founder of JW1 Consulting, and co-founder of RACCS (Reaching Across Communities and Challenging Systems) based in Los Angeles, CA. 

Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab is a sociologist who founded the #RealCollege movement to support students’ basic needs.  She is the author of the award-winning book Paying the Price, College Costs, Financial Aid, and the Betrayal of the American Dream, the founder of two national organizations, a frequent advisor to state and national leaders, and a passionate teacher at the Community College of Philadelphia.