Executive Summary
Higher education in prison is a critical support for the dignity and well-being of individuals who are incarcerated, and yet Illinois’ system for providing this support to individuals within its correctional facilities falls far short of what students, practitioners, and advocates have envisioned and worked to build.
Illinois has a critical opportunity to expand higher education in prison and establish a more accessible and effective system throughout the state. This report aims to stimulate conversation about the benefits of higher education in prison, describe the development of higher education in prison nationally and in Illinois, and provide a blueprint for overcoming existing barriers to expanding quality higher education in all Illinois prisons.
Illinois has yet to implement HEP in all IDOC facilities, failing to capitalize on the integral tool that it is. This report recommends that Illinois: (1) explore opportunities to effectively use federal funding and free up state aid; (2) generate and implement uniform policies that are publicly available; and (3) create a sustainable structure for higher education in prison policymaking informed by meaningful data analysis and collaboration.
