What does equitable access to quality instruction look like in a carceral context? How can higher education in prison programs fulfill their obligation to provide their students with an educational experience that is as close as possible to the one of students on main campuses?

Drawing on interviews with former students, higher education in prison program personnel, and department of corrections staff members, our new report documents what instructional conditions are like in carceral spaces, and how those conditions are likely to impact learning and the educational experience of students. By triangulating those findings with existing research on the role of the physical environment on learning outcomes, this interim report is a first step toward understanding what specific challenges are posed by educational spaces inside and identifying potential design solutions.

In addition to the experiences of those directly involved in these educational programs, this report highlights modest, practical changes in architecture and design that corrections and higher education in prison programs can implement to improve their existing classroom spaces. While its main focus is on classroom spaces, the report also highlights the importance of learning environments such as libraries and multipurpose rooms inside prisons, making preliminary suggestions on how to make those spaces more welcoming and appealing for studying and completing assignments.

Key Findings

  • Factors beyond classroom architecture and design influence how students experience educational spaces and, ultimately, their educational journey. Facility operations, limited access to classrooms, poor study materials, relationships with correctional staff, and security concerns hinder the ability of students to complete assignments, engage with course content, and fully benefit from the educational programs offered.
  • Most prison classrooms are inadequate to serve as spaces for learning and education, featuring uncomfortable furniture, poor lighting, ventilation and noise control, and lacking basic technology. These conditions create distractions that may diminish the ability of incarcerated students to focus.
  • Like those attending college on the outside, incarcerated students need functional, flexible, and inclusive educational spaces. This requires rethinking classroom layouts, designing non-instructional spaces to support learning (including libraries and personal desks inside cells), incorporating technology, and ensuring accessibility to meet diverse learning needs inside the prisons.

Uneven Terrain: Learning Spaces in Higher Education in Prison is part of a larger project undertaken with Ennead Lab and supported by Ascendium Education Group. The second phase of research will involve case studies and site visits conducted by Ithaka S+R and Ennead to explore the issues identified above in greater depth, situating the individual facilities in their wider context and analyzing how state policies create or alleviate space constraints.