A Prison to Higher Ed Pipeline: The Education Transition Coordination Program

• Published date: 01 March 2024
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/00328855231222411
• Author: Stephanie Hartwell,Toycia Collins,Oliva Furlow,Trent Sheldon,Sheryl Kubiak,Terrell Topps
• Date: 01 March 2024

A Prison to Higher Ed

Pipeline: The Education

Transition Coordination

Program

Stephanie Hartwell

1

,

Toycia Collins

1

, Oliva Furlow

1

,

Trent Sheldon

1

, Sheryl Kubiak

1

,

and Terrell Topps

1

Abstract

The Educational Transition Coordination program is a pilot intervention at

Wayne State University with the goals of increasing the well-being and eco-

nomic mobility of formerly incarcerated individuals who confront both

structural and functional diff‌iculties navigating community reentry. This arti-

cle describes the program, the population served, the evaluation to date,

including functional and structural barriers, and policy implications.

Keywords

inmate education, community reentry, recidivism, economic mobility

Introduction

More than 20 million Americans are (2 million currently) or have been incar-

cerated with nearly two-thirds (66%) reincarcerated within 3 years of release

(US Department of Justice, 2021). This article describes a program that

addresses the challenges formerly incarcerated individuals confront post

1

Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA

Corresponding Author:

Stephanie Hartwell, Wayne State University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, 4841 Cass

Ave., 2155 Old Main, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.

Email: steff‌i.hartwell@wayne.edu

Article

The Prison Journal

2024, Vol. 104(2) 159–172

© 2024 SAGE Publications

Article reuse guidelines:

sagepub.com/journals-permissions

DOI: 10.1177/00328855231222411

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