Resources: College and Higher Education Courses

Ashland University Correctional Educational Program (AU-CEPT) partners with state Department of Corrections and local jails to offer online education experiences. Students can choose an associate degree or a bachelor's degree. There is also an online degree option for reentry students. Except in cases where the Department of Corrections issues the devices, Ashland University provides all technology, textbooks and instructional supplies at no cost. States where AU-CEP is operating inside facilities: Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, West Virginia, as well as Washington DC.

Blackstone Career Institute’s accredited Paralegal Certificate Program provides practical, real-world legal knowledge that can be applied while incarcerated and after release. Designed with the unique needs of incarcerated learners, the program is completed through mail correspondence, with no internet or phone access required. Students study at their facility, at their own pace, and typically complete the program in 12–14 months. No computers, proctors, or facility instructors are required, and soft-covered materials are designed for ease of entry into most institutions. The program includes over 900 clock hours of coursework, preparing graduates to sit for the Certified Paralegal (CP) Exam given by the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA). (Graduates are eligible for NALA once they are released and no longer under court-imposed supervision.). Students may also choose from 10 Advanced Paralegal Courses offered separately, including Criminal Law, Civil Litigation, and Immigration Law, to deepen their legal knowledge and develop skills useful for better understanding legal issues, supporting case work, or enhancing employment prospects after release. Enrollment may be initiated either by an incarcerated individual requesting information by mail or email or by a sponsor who may contact Blackstone or enroll online on behalf of the prospective student. Currently serves all states.

The Education Justice Project (EJP) is a comprehensive college-in-prison program at Danville Correctional Center in central Illinois. Students earn transferable University of Illinois credit. EJP’s Reentry Resource Program publishes multiple reentry guides: Mapping Your Future: National Edition and A New Path: A Guide to the Challenges and Opportunities After Deportation. Mapping Your Future includes advice about housing, employment, healthcare, substance use and more, with resources for formerly incarcerated individuals throughout the US. A New Path is a guide for people getting deported to Mexico and Central America and is published in English and Spanish. EJP also prepares specific reentry resources for Illinois residents (Mapping Your Future: A Guide to Successful Reentry in Illinois), available in both English and Spanish.) All resources can be found on their Reentry Resource Program website, including a searchable directory of Illinois resources, recently updated chapters of A New Path, and deportation guides specific to Honduras and Guatemala.

Organization supporting education model that brings together campus-based college students with incarcerated students for a class held inside jail or prison. This is a training center for Inside-Out education programs all across the country. it does not directly teach students. Write to find out if there is an Inside-Out program in your state.