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Cited by 5Criminal Justice and Corrections AnalysisCriminal Justice and PenologyEducation and Public Policy

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 40 of the 40 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

College Behind Bars: A Historiography of Higher Education in Prison

Conway, Patrick Filipe, Lally, Marisa·2025·Educational Policy

Abstract

This article presents a synthesized historiography of higher education in American prisons, exploring interactions of federal, state, and institution-level policies within six specific states: California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New York, and Texas. We define considerations for researchers, policymakers, and advocates regarding efforts to sustain educational access for incarcerated students. Findings suggest access is inextricably linked to policies relying on the social construction of crime and incarceration. As such, sole reliance on federal support may be detrimental for programs. A focus on diversifying funding sources will likely better ensure the long-term durability of support for higher education in prison programming.

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Crossref · 10.1177/08959048241283017

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Citations

Cites

Show all 38 references

Research works printed but not linked: 13

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  9. Rhoades G. (2023). Markets, states, and higher education: Trends in academic capitalism. In Bastedo M. N., Altbach P. G., Gumport P. (Eds.), American higher education in the 21st century: Social, political, and economic challenges (5th ed., pp. 506–532). Johns Hopkins University Press.
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Metadata

Authors
Conway, P. F., & Lally, M.
Affiliations
Boston College (US)
Corresponding author
Conway, Patrick Filipe
Venue
Educational Policy
Published
2024-09-25
Volume
39
Issue
5
Pages
1019-1043
ISSN
  • 0895-9048 (ISSN-L)
  • 1552-3896
OpenAlex
W4402897428
Cited by
4
References
38
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 2
FWCI
2.88
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
Educational Policy (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis
  • Social Sciences › Law › Criminal Justice and Penology
  • Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Education and Public Policy
Keywords
higher education in prisons, incarcerated students, prison education, access to education, funding sources, social construction of crime, incarceration, Illinois, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New York, Texas

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CoChat. (2026). Citation check: College Behind Bars: A Historiography of Higher Education in Prison. https://app.cochat.ai/papers/10.1177/08959048241283017
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Conway, P. F., & Lally, M. (2025). College Behind Bars: A Historiography of Higher Education in Prison. Educational Policy. https://doi.org/10.1177/08959048241283017