Cornell Prison Education Program Secures $1.5M Grant to Enhance National Research on Prison Education
Prison education program wins $1.5M to create national research hub
Cornell Chronicle
Image: Cornell Chronicle
The Cornell Prison Education Program (CPEP) has received a $1.5 million grant from Ascendium Education Group to establish a national research consortium and improve its student-data tracking tool. These initiatives aim to enhance understanding and advocacy for higher education in prisons, addressing challenges like student transfers and recidivism.
- 01CPEP's new initiatives include the Partnership for the Advancement of Prison Education Research (PAPER), launched on April 8, 2023, with over 100 researchers attending a symposium.
- 02The Education Justice Tracker tool, designed to manage student data, has been adopted by 14 higher education programs since its launch in 2022.
- 03CPEP aims to double the number of users for the Education Justice Tracker in the coming months.
- 04The program will enable Cornell to offer a bachelor's degree to incarcerated students starting in 2027, marking it as the first Ivy League institution to do so.
- 05Rob Scott, CPEP executive director, emphasizes the importance of research-informed progress in prison education.
Advertisement
In-Article Ad
The Cornell Prison Education Program (CPEP) has launched two significant initiatives to tackle the challenges in providing higher education within prisons, funded by a three-year, $1.5 million grant from Ascendium Education Group. The first initiative is the Partnership for the Advancement of Prison Education Research (PAPER), which aims to foster collaboration among researchers and enhance the understanding of issues like recidivism and workforce development for released students. The second initiative focuses on improving the Education Justice Tracker, a tool designed to help higher education programs manage student data effectively, especially during transfers between correctional facilities. Since its inception in 2022, the tracker has been adopted by 14 programs, including the SUNY system. CPEP, which operates in three correctional facilities, plans to expand its user base significantly and will begin offering a bachelor's degree in 2027, making Cornell the first Ivy League university to provide a degree to incarcerated individuals. CPEP's efforts underscore the critical role of education in reforming the prison system and supporting successful reentry into society.
Advertisement
In-Article Ad
The initiatives will improve the management of student data in prison education programs, enhancing educational continuity and support for incarcerated individuals.
Advertisement
In-Article Ad
Reader Poll
What do you think about the expansion of higher education programs in prisons?
Connecting to poll...
Read the original article
Visit the source for the complete story.


