15th Reintegration Puzzle Conference

Higher Education on the Outside: Supporting Students once Released from Prison

Education can be transformative for those who are incarcerated. It helps prisoners imagine a new life for themselves and for their families post-release. But how do we as educators ensure that this momentum is maintained once the learner leaves custody?

This paper proposes a proactive approach whereby the external educational provider works with the learner just prior to and after release in order to maintain the momentum. It discusses some of the challenges of participating in education and accessing support post release. The paper then explores how, through the lived and shared experiences of a current university student, how higher education undertaken while incarcerated and continued on the outside, can and has been achieved. There will be an exploration of the social, emotional and practical barriers to reengaging with education with insights into how they may be overcome.

The paper concludes with a discussion of the specific strategies used by the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) to keep formerly incarcerated students engaged with learning post-release. These tools were developed as part of the USQ Incarcerated Student Strategy, formerly adopted by the university in 2018. USQ in partnership with correctional centre staff works actively to encourage and facilitate ongoing student engagement and participation in education post release.