About 94 percent of people in federal, state, and private prisons have a high school diploma or less—and nearly one in three don’t have any high school credentials at all. More than half also leave prison without completing any additional education, leaving many people without the skills and education needed to build stable, fulfilling lives upon release.
There is a critical need to support education, workforce, and correctional partners in designing and evaluating comprehensive continuums of education, training, and support that facilitate a successful return home for the more than 600,000 people released from prison and more than 7 million people released from jail each year in the United States.
How We Help
The Justice and Prevention Research Center (JPRC) and our colleagues at WestEd’s Center for Economic Mobility (CEM) support federal, state, and local agencies by providing comprehensive expertise in adult and postsecondary education, workforce training, and their application within correctional systems to increase access to economic opportunities for people, families, and communities across the country.
- Conduct needs assessments and strategic planning to identify areas of need, prioritize opportunities and resources, and implement data-driven solutions with fidelity.
- Perform labor market research to support program development, align existing programs with projected labor market demands, employer needs, and industry standards, and increase employment opportunities for returning citizens.
- Provide training and technical assistance to support program design, partnership development, and the establishment of data systems and practices that promote continuous quality improvement.
- Evaluate emerging and existing programs and strategies to identify strengths and opportunities, and offer recommendations that inform program improvement.
Contact Our Experts
Discover how the JPRC can support your efforts to ensure that people with histories of incarceration have access to the education, training, and support services they need to obtain meaningful, living-wage employment and contribute to their families and communities.
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Our Experts
Jessica Keach
Manager, Research and Policy
Trevor Fronius, PhD
Director of Justice and Prevention