Building Systems of Support for Higher Education in Prison Programs
More than 85% of the nearly 2 million adults incarcerated in the United States will eventually return to their communities, where they often face significant barriers to employment, education, housing, and health care. These challenges can limit economic mobility and contribute to cycles of poverty.
Higher education in prison (HEP) is one of the most effective ways to improve post-release outcomes. Postsecondary programs in correctional settings support academic achievement, build workforce skills, and help individuals transition successfully back into their communities. They can also contribute to safer, stronger communities.
Despite their proven impact, HEP programs remain underutilized, with fewer than 5% of incarcerated individuals enrolled in higher education. Expanding access and strengthening program quality are critical to creating opportunity and improving long-term outcomes for incarcerated learners.
AIR's HEP portfolio represents a collection of projects designed to expand educational opportunities for students who are incarcerated. Through technical assistance, research, resource development, and field-building efforts, AIR helps facilitate a connected network for HEP programs and technical assistance support providers.
Our HEP Work
Identifying and Scaling Higher Education in Prison Programmatic Resources
Supported by the Ascendium Education Group and conducted in partnership with the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison and Jobs for the Future, this project helps identify, improve, and share effective resources for HEP programs.
By bringing together grantees, practitioners, and intermediaries, the project supports continuous improvement through collaboration, technical assistance, and the dissemination of proven tools and strategies. The goal is to make high-impact resources more accessible, scalable, and responsive to emerging needs across the field.
Strengthening Higher Education in Prison Programs Nationwide
Funded by Ascendium Education Group, this project strengthens the HEP ecosystem by connecting technical assistance providers, practitioners, and partner organizations.
Through coordinated technical assistance, resource development, and peer learning, the project helps increase access to promising practices and practical tools. These efforts support program quality, student success, and the long-term sustainability of higher education opportunities in correctional settings.
Education in Action: Work-based Learning in Prison
In partnership with the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison, this project explores how work-based learning opportunities can be expanded for incarcerated learners.
The project combines policy research and field-based insights to examine barriers, promising practices, and state-level policies. Findings will inform a practical framework that helps policymakers, corrections agencies, and education providers design and scale effective work-based learning programs that strengthen workforce readiness and support successful reentry.
Advancing Coordination and Collaboration in Higher Education in Prison
AIR is strengthening collaboration across the HEP field through the development of the Resource Community for Higher Education in Prison (RCHEP), a centralized platform that provides access to evidence-based and practitioner-informed resources.
RCHEP helps HEP programs, technical assistance providers, and other stakeholders connect, share knowledge, and exchange promising practices. By improving access to resources and fostering collaboration, the platform supports program improvement and strengthens the overall HEP ecosystem. Originally funded by the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison, RCHEP will continue to evolve through the Strengthening Higher Education in Prison Programs Nationwide project.
