Training Programs in Adult Correctional Facilities, Nondegree Credentials in Special Education, U.S. Department of Education

The U.S. Department of Education Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) developed this report regarding training programs in adult correctional facilities. The report focuses on career and technical education (CTE) programs that allow incarcerated adults to earn certifications, licenses, or educational certificates. The research conducted in developing this report indicates that inmates who are involved with training programs while in detention are significantly more likely to find a job after release and have significantly lower recidivism rates.

This report reviewed CTE programs in eight states and found significant benefits for those individuals who participated in the programs, including higher earning potential and greater likelihood of further education. However, several barriers limit the effectiveness of these programs, including facility transfer, class disruptions due to students receiving disciplinary restrictions, lack of Internet access, space and resource limitations, and challenges in recruiting qualified teachers. Students also faced personal, institutional, and post-release barriers to completing programs. When completed, however, these programs provided participants with a number of opportunities that would not otherwise have been available to them.