Providing a Structured Support System and Mentoring Facilitates the Transformative Power of Education for Currently and Formerly Incarcerated Persons

Within 5 years of prison release, 46% of individuals return to prison. Participating in correctional educational programming while incarcerated reduces 1-year reincarceration rates by 28% when compared to those that do not participate. While education is a powerful protective factor, many incarcerated populations lack access to systems of support that enable higher educational pursuits. Using data from 540 currently and formerly incarcerated prison-to-professional (P2P) scholars applicants, we investigated the influence of structured support and peer mentoring services on educational and employment outcomes. P2P scholars outperformed non-P2P and non-formerly incarcerated students across matriculation rates, employment rate, persistence, grade point averages, and recidivism.