Post-Prison Education Program

Description

Currently, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, three out of every five released prisoners recidivate (DOL reports 650,000 people are released from prison yearly with three out of five re-offending within three to five years // DOJ reports that after release two out of three will re-offend). Many crimes are economic. People are being released from prison without requisite skills and resources necessary to find stable work at a living wage. Without adequate employment, many, if not most, are unable to secure safe and stable housing thus a destabilizing pattern of poverty, homelessness, and despair culminating in renewed criminal activity. Many people in prison lack skills they need to transition successfully to the work force. State community colleges could potentially provide rich resources for many of these individuals, but very few of those formerly imprisoned are taking advantage of this opportunity.