Public perception often believes that inmates are just sitting around doing nothing and playing games while spending hard earned taxpayer money.  Reality shows that many inmates are actually learning in motion. They are working a job, are participating in educational and rehabilitative programs, and are managing a personal life inside and outside the walls of the correctional institution.

Correctional education consistently demonstrates positive outcomes across multiple studies. A RAND meta-analysis found that participation was associated with 43% lower odds of recidivism (Davis et al., 2013), while subsequent longitudinal research found significant reductions in recidivism and improvements in post-release employment among participants in prison-based educational programming (Duwe & Clark, 2017).

This presentation shows classes in real time at the White Mountains Community College satellite campus at the NH Department of Corrections. Teachers travel far distances, late at night; and students, some of whom work at 3:30 in the morning, take classes as late as 9:30pm at night. They willingly work this late to help build a better society.

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This piece is part of a larger group submission from WMCC, including:

• ‍Working While You Learn‍
• Mentoring Students‍
• Message to the Public‍