The question may seem silly to those of us for whom a college education was always part of our natural path to full adulthood. But many incarcerated people come from backgrounds of poverty, violence, and trauma. The kind of future-oriented imaginations that most of our traditional students grow up with are foreign to people whose idea of “the future” only extends to the end of the day.
Just getting by.
Just getting through the day.
Go to college? Probably not.
We recently interviewed three graduates of the Calvin Prison Initiative. Each has been paroled. Each is now putting his college education to good use. Each is a productive and engaged member of his community. We asked these men why they decided to go to college in prison. Hear what they had to say.
Also, prison and reduced recidivism can contribute to lower crime rates, savings to taxpayers, and to safer and more vibrant communities