Jobs for the Future (JFF) is excited to announce the launch of the Normalizing Education Collective (the Collective), a timely initiative aimed at fostering increased collaboration and capacity-building among postsecondary leaders who are driving transformative change in prison education. This work comes in response to the reinstatement of Pell Grants for incarcerated learners in July 2023.

Funded by Ascendium Education Group and the Ichigo Foundation, the Collective is a yearlong community of practice designed to support postsecondary partners nationwide as they build or expand high-quality postsecondary pathways in prisons that will lead to opportunities for economic advancement. With a strong focus on building collective capacity, the initiative will facilitate connections, foster collaboration, and provide access to crucial tools and resources through JFF’s Normalizing Education Resource Center and the Resource Community for Higher Education in Prison (RCHEP) online learning platform.

Rebecca Villarreal, a senior director who leads talent development initiatives for JFF’s Center for Justice & Economic Advancement, emphasizes the importance of this project, stating, “The Normalizing Education Collective deepens our field-wide support incubated through our Ready for Pell initiative and PEP-CTE Accelerator Network. It is a commitment to continuing to support postsecondary education institutions’ important role in facilitating opportunities for learners currently incarcerated.”

The reinstatement of Pell Grants has sparked considerable momentum across the field of postsecondary education in prison. This initiative aims to create a strong community and provides a structured opportunity for institutions to seek support in navigating an evolving landscape and to exchange best practices for meeting the needs of learners who are incarcerated. The Collective is likewise anticipated to strengthen state-based partnerships and collaboration among participating institutions and their partnering corrections agencies.

“We anticipate a transformative impact, creating a space for shared learning, collaboration, and actionable strategies that will resonate across the postsecondary education in prison ecosystem and help JFF to reach its North Star. In 10 years, 75 million people facing systemic barriers to advancement will work in quality jobs,” -Villarreal said.