Today, Ithaka S+R released exploratory research findings on the benefits, constraints, and risks of using open education resources (OER) in higher education in prison settings. This report is intended primarily for open education practitioners and advocates interested in understanding how OER is currently used in prison education and how they might begin working with colleagues in this field. This brief blog post explains why we undertook the research, what we learned, and what OER practitioners and advocates can take away from the findings.

In late 2025, the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC), in collaboration with the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE), contracted Ithaka S+R to study how OER is currently used in higher education in prison programs. While Ithaka S+R has undertaken studies on OER, textbook affordability, information access, censorship and self-censorship, technology access and use, and educational spaces and learning environments in higher education in prison; our work had not previously explicitly bridged the topics of OER and college in prison. From December through March, Ithaka S+R conducted a targeted policy scan and literature review, and interviewed 13 individuals, including higher education in prison administrators, departments of corrections (DOC) staff, and librarians to better understand how practitioners and students thought of, engaged with, and used OER in prison.

Why open education in higher education in prisons? Why now?

Studying open educational resources in carceral settings is important right now as prison education programs expand under new Pell eligibility rules. These new regulations require that prison education programs be comparable to on-campus programs. However, as we have shown in previous work, restrictive policies in prisons can limit students’ access to educational materials, technology, and academic supports. For some interviewees and experts, open educational resources offer a way to address these challenges; however, OER practitioners seeking to work with higher education in prison programs need to understand the systems and constraints that shape how educational materials are selected, reviewed, delivered, and accessed in prison. Understanding how OER functions in these constrained environments is critical to ensure that incarcerated students can receive high-quality education.

What we learned

Drawing on background research and exploratory interviews, this report highlights how open educational resources are already used in prison settings. Interviewees described the advantages of adapting and implementing OER in higher education in prison programs, including:

  • Hybrid use: OER can be combined with publisher materials and instructor-created content, allowing for flexibility in tailoring course materials that meet academic and institutional needs.
  • Affordability: By reducing textbook costs, open educational materials can expand access for incarcerated students.
  • Flexibility: OER helps programs navigate logistical challenges like delayed shipments, limited vendor access, and strict facility rules because materials can be reproduced, modified, printed, and shared more easily.
  • Academic continuity: OER can support persistence and academic continuity, especially during student transfers between facilities, since OER materials can be reprinted or redistributed without additional cost.

At the same time, the report also surfaced constraints shaped by correctional infrastructure and how making OER work in prisons will require adaptation. A variety of technical and logistical constraints tied to security considerations and physical infrastructure limitations, including but not limited to: limited network and internet connectivity, firewalls, restricted websites, materials review procedures, content-neutral restrictions on bringing paper or paper products into facilities, property limits, and other agency- and facility-specific rules affect how materials are used and delivered inside, and how those conditions vary within and across states.

OER in prison requires complex coordination and collaboration

For OER practitioners, implementing OER in prison education means working across two systems: 1) higher education institutions and 2) correctional agencies. Each has different policies, priorities, technology, security requirements, and timelines. Understanding how those systems intersect to deliver higher education in prisons is essential for ensuring reliable access to information and learning resources. Below are starting points OER practitioners interested in exploring the potential open education in prison settings:

  • Start by speaking with and coordinating across stakeholders. Build relationships with prison education practitioners, faculty, librarians, correctional staff, and other stakeholders who shape access to educational materials inside.
  • Pilot programs and move at the speed of care and trust. Start small with courses where high-quality OER already exist, and plan for how materials will be accessed, delivered, and adapted.
  • Prepare for the labor costs. OER implementation requires significant faculty and staff time to identify, adapt, format, and maintain materials. It is important to plan and compensate for this work.
  • Consider how to align educational materials across instructional settings. Use OER’s flexibility to support comparable and equitable access to course materials across prison and campus settings while adapting to the contexts of each environment.

Future research

Future research should focus on defining what “success” looks like for OER in correctional settings beyond cost savings to better understand impact on access, instructional quality, and continuity of learning. On a broad scale, higher education in prison curricular research is needed to understand what OER can help in the space and how to make it most easily available inside. Technical assistance efforts and cohort-based projects that bring open education experts into conversation with stakeholders across higher education in prison programs, corrections, and additional agencies and organizations could greatly benefit both the advancement of open education and information and education access in prisons, and establish a broader community of practice. More work is also needed to understand how postsecondary institutions, libraries, and correctional agencies can coordinate to expand access to training, resources, and professional development for students and educators inside. Advancing this work will require strong collaboration, but it can improve access to educational materials for students while navigating the realities of carceral learning environments.