Kent State University's Prison Reentry Program provides educational opportunities aimed at supporting successful reentry into communities after incarceration. The inaugural graduating class of 18 graduates from the Federal Correctional Institution at Elkton was .
According to WKBN, the passage of the federal First Step Act eight years ago allowed prisons to work with higher education institutions to help reduce inmate recidivism after release.
Kristenne Robison, Ph.D., assistant professor of sociology, criminology and justice studies and one of the program鈥檚 principal investigators, told WKBN that teaching incarcerated students is a unique classroom experience.
鈥淭hey don鈥檛 have distractions from cell phones. They don鈥檛 have distractions that our students on the outside have, and they鈥檙e so hungry to learn because they don鈥檛 have a lot of access to knowledge here,鈥 Robison told WKBN.
Through programs like this, Kent State helps students gain educational experiences that will help support them after incarceration.