Project Pathways

El acceso a educación superior en contextos penitenciarios ha tenido un auge notorio en las últimas décadas, manteniendo su crecimiento incluso en contextos de disminución de la inversión pública en el sistema penitenciario, particularmente en Estados Unidos (Chesnut et al, 2022), donde además se dan esfuerzos por regular su provisión y exigir altos estándares en su ejecución (Wheeler et al 2022). Existe una amplia evidencia respecto de los beneficios de dichas iniciativas, incluyendo mejoras en la seguridad de las prisiones (tanto para internos como para el personal), menores tasas de reincidencia delictual, mejores perspectivas económicas, y mejoras generales en el bienestar y seguridad de la comunidad (Davis et al 2013; Pompoco et al 2017; Duwe 2017; Oakford et al 2019; Carnevale et al 2010).

Asimismo, una amplia diversidad de estudios muestra que las personas que participan de estos programas experimentan menores niveles de reincidencia delictual, con disminuciones de hasta un 43% (Kim y Clark 2013; Davis et al 2013). Hay evidencia respecto de los efectos positivos de estos programas sobre el autoestima, el autoconcepto y el desarrollo personal (Livingstone y Miller 2013; Halkovic et al 2013; Correctional Association of New York 2009; Heider y Lehman 2019), mayor equidad racial (Western y Pettit 2010; Delaney et al 2018; Sturm y Nixon 2015), seguridad pública y disminución de la reincidencia (Bozick et al, 2018), seguridad dentro de las prisiones (Pompoco et al 2017) y eficiencia costo-beneficio para el estado (Oakfield et al 2019).

Departamento de Justicia de Estados Unidos. Descripción del proyecto Pathways.

1. Bozick, R; Steele, J; Davis, L. y Turner, S. (2018). Does Providing Inmates with Education Improve Postrelease Outcomes? A Meta-Analysis of Correctional Education Programs in the United States. Journal of Experimental Criminology 14, no. 3 (2018), 389–428.
2. Carnevale, A; Smith, N. y Strohl, J. (2010). Help Wanted: Projections of Jobs and Education Requirements through 2018 (Washington, DC: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 2010), 13.
3. Chesnut, K; Taber, N. y Quintana, J. (2022). Second Chance Pell: Five Years of Expanding Higher Education Programs in Prisons, 2016–2021. Vera Institute of Justice, May 2022. Correctional Association of New York (2009). Education from the Inside, Out: The Multiple Benefits of College Programs in Prison (New York: Correctional Association of New York, 2009), 3.
4. Davis, L; Bozick, R; Steele, J; Saunders, J. & Miles, J. (2013). Evaluating the Effectiveness of Correctional Education: A Meta-Analysis of Programs That Provide Education to Incarcerated Adults. RAND Corporation & Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice. Davis, L. & Tolbert, M. (2019). Evaluation of North Carolina’s Pathways from Prison to Postsecondary Education Program. RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, Calif.
5. Delaney, R; Subramanian, R; Shames, A. y Turner, N. (2018). Reimagining Prison (New York: Vera Institute of Justice, 2018).
6. Duwe, G. (2017). The Use and Impact of Correctional Programming for Inmates on Pre- and Post-Release Outcomes (Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice, 2017). Halkovic, A; Fine, M; Bae, J. et al. (2013). Higher Education and Reentry: The Gifts They Bring (New York: John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Prisoner Reentry Institute, 2013). Heider, C. y Lehman, K. (2019). Education and Transformation: An Argument for College in Prison. Critical Education, 10, no. 9 (2019), 1–13.
7. Kim, R. y and Clark, D. (2013). Effect of Prison-Based College Education Programs on Recidivism: Propensity Score Matching Approach. Journal of Criminal Justice 41, no. 3 (2013), 196-204.
8. Livingston, L. y Miller, J. (2013). Inequalities of Race, Class and Place and Their Impact on Postincarceration Higher Education. Race & Justice 4, no. 3 (2014), 212–245. Oakford, P; Brumfield, C; Goldvale, C et al. (2019). Investing in Futures: Economic and Fiscal Benefits of Postsecondary Education in Prison, (New York: Vera Institute of Justice, 2019).
9. Pompoco, A; Wooldredge, J; Lugo, M. et al. (2017). Reducing Inmate Misconduct and Prison Returns with Facility Education Programs. Criminology & Public Policy 16, no. 2. Sturm, S. y and Nixon, V. (2015). Home-Grown Social Capital: How Higher Education for Formerly Incarcerated Women Facilitates Family and Community Transformation (Washington, DC: Ascend at the Aspen Institute, 2015). Western, B. y and Pettit, B. (2010). Incarceration & Social Inequality. Daedalus 139, no. 3. Wheeler, B; Sweeney, A; Newton-Curran, P. y Boccia, S. (2022). Postsecondary Education in Prison Programs and Accreditation—General Considerations for Peer Reviewers and Accreditors. Vera Institute of Justice and Higher Learning Commission.