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Washington State Institute for Public Policy
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Correctional education (post-secondary)

Adult Criminal Justice
Benefit-cost methods last updated December 2024.  Literature review updated May 2024.
Correctional education (postsecondary) comprises college- and university-level courses for individuals incarcerated in prison to enhance pathways for post-release employment and overall success. Often, these courses are either classroom- or computer-based instruction provided directly in the prison and contribute towards a postsecondary degree (e.g., Associate of Arts (AA) degree or Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree). To participate, individuals must apply for these courses and provide proof of a high school diploma, GED, or qualifying scores on specific instruments (e.g., literacy, math). Incarcerated students are eligible for Federal Pell Grants to pay for these qualifying prison education programs. In Washington State, a partnership between the Department of Corrections, the State Board of Community & Technical Colleges, the Evergreen State College, and private partnerships provide opportunities for incarcerated adults to earn postsecondary certificates and degrees.
Postsecondary education programs vary in length of enrollment depending on the individual’s education level, the purpose or program of attendance, and the length of an individual’s prison sentence. Per the studies in our analysis, classes are available regardless of sex, age, and risk level.

Evaluations of Adult Basic Education (ABE), General Educational Development GED preparation classes, and vocational education classes are excluded from this analysis and analyzed separately.
 
ALL
BENEFIT-COST
META-ANALYSIS
CITATIONS
For an overview of WSIPP's Benefit-Cost Model, please see this guide. The estimates shown are present value, life cycle benefits and costs. All dollars are expressed in the base year chosen for this analysis (2023).  The chance the benefits exceed the costs are derived from a Monte Carlo risk analysis. The details on this, as well as the economic discount rates and other relevant parameters are described in our Technical Documentation.
Benefit-Cost Summary Statistics Per Participant
Benefits to:
Taxpayers $9,965 Benefits minus costs $30,528
Participants $0 Benefit to cost ratio $14.51
Others $18,971 Chance the program will produce
Indirect $3,852 benefits greater than the costs 97%
Total benefits $32,788
Net program cost ($2,260)
Benefits minus cost $30,528

^WSIPP’s benefit-cost model does not monetize this outcome.

Meta-analysis is a statistical method to combine the results from separate studies on a program, policy, or topic to estimate its effect on an outcome. WSIPP systematically evaluates all credible evaluations we can locate on each topic. The outcomes measured are the program impacts measured in the research literature (for example, impacts on crime or educational attainment). Treatment N represents the total number of individuals or units in the treatment group across the included studies.

An effect size (ES) is a standard metric that summarizes the degree to which a program or policy affects a measured outcome. If the effect size is positive, the outcome increases. If the effect size is negative, the outcome decreases. See Estimating Program Effects Using Effect Sizes for additional information on how we estimate effect sizes.

The effect size may be adjusted from the unadjusted effect size estimated in the meta-analysis. Historically, WSIPP adjusted effect sizes to some programs based on the methodological characteristics of the study. For programs reviewed in 2024 or later, we do not make additional adjustments, and we use the unadjusted effect size whenever we run a benefit-cost analysis.

Research shows the magnitude of effects may change over time. For those effect sizes, we estimate outcome-based adjustments, which we apply between the first time ES is estimated and the second time ES is estimated. More details about these adjustments can be found in our Technical Documentation.

Meta-Analysis of Program Effects
Outcomes measured Treatment age No. of effect sizes Treatment N Effect sizes (ES) and standard errors (SE) used in the benefit-cost analysis Unadjusted effect size (random effects model)
First time ES is estimated Second time ES is estimated
ES SE Age ES SE Age ES p-value
Crime
Any criminal conviction according to court records, sometimes measured through charges, arrests, incarceration, or self-report.
 31 5 2166 -0.355 0.172 32 -0.355 0.172 40 -0.355 0.039
Prison misconduct^
Criminal or deviant behavior during incarceration. Misconduct is often associated with violating policy within a prison or secure facility.
31 2 1385 -0.440 0.415 32 n/a n/a n/a -0.440 0.289
1In addition to the outcomes measured in the meta-analysis table, WSIPP measures benefits and costs estimated from other outcomes associated with those reported in the evaluation literature. For example, empirical research demonstrates that high school graduation leads to reduced crime. These associated measures provide a more complete picture of the detailed costs and benefits of the program.

2“Others” includes benefits to people other than taxpayers and participants. Depending on the program, it could include reductions in crime victimization, the economic benefits from a more educated workforce, and the benefits from employer-paid health insurance.

3“Indirect benefits” includes estimates of the net changes in the value of a statistical life and net changes in the deadweight costs of taxation.
Detailed Monetary Benefit Estimates Per Participant
Affected outcome: Resulting benefits:1 Benefits accrue to:
Taxpayers Participants Others2 Indirect3 Total
Crime Criminal justice system $9,965 $0 $18,971 $4,982 $33,918
Program cost Adjustment for deadweight cost of program $0 $0 $0 ($1,130) ($1,130)
Totals $9,965 $0 $18,971 $3,852 $32,788
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Detailed Annual Cost Estimates Per Participant
Annual cost Year dollars Summary
Program costs $2,260 2023 Present value of net program costs (in 2023 dollars) ($2,260)
Comparison costs $0 2023 Cost range (+ or -) 10%
The per-participant cost estimate was provided by the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC). Post-secondary is inclusive of college-level classes and vocational certificates that are considered college-level classes (e.g., autobody technology, business administration, diesel mechanics, HVAC, welding, machining, computer programming, plumbing, carpentry, drywall/roofing/siding). This cost does not include student services not related to classroom instruction. Per-participant costs represent the total education contract expenditures shared by all participants in CY2023.
The figures shown are estimates of the costs to implement programs in Washington. The comparison group costs reflect either no treatment or treatment as usual, depending on how effect sizes were calculated in the meta-analysis. The cost range reported above reflects potential variation or uncertainty in the cost estimate; more detail can be found in our Technical Documentation.
Benefits Minus Costs
Benefits by Perspective
Taxpayer Benefits by Source of Value
Benefits Minus Costs Over Time (Cumulative Discounted Dollars)
The graph above illustrates the estimated cumulative net benefits per-participant for the first fifty years beyond the initial investment in the program. We present these cash flows in discounted dollars. If the dollars are negative (bars below $0 line), the cumulative benefits do not outweigh the cost of the program up to that point in time. The program breaks even when the dollars reach $0. At this point, the total benefits to participants, taxpayers, and others, are equal to the cost of the program. If the dollars are above $0, the benefits of the program exceed the initial investment.

Citations Used in the Meta-Analysis

Batiuk, M.E., Moke, P., & Rountree, P.W. (1997). Crime and rehabilitation: Correctional education as an agent of change. Justice Quarterly, 14, 167-180.

Denney, M.G., & Tynes, R. (2021). The effects of college in prison and policy implications. Justice Quarterly, 38(7), 1542-1566.

Duwe, G., Hallett, M., Hays, J., Jang, S.J., & Johnson, B.R. (2015). Bible college participation and prison misconduct: A preliminary analysis. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 54(5), 371-390.

Pompoco, A., Wooldredge, J., Lugo, M., Sullivan, C., & Latessa, E.J. (2017). Reducing inmate misconduct and prison returns with facility education programs. American Society of Criminology, 16(2), 515-547.

Winterfield, L., Coggeshall, M., Burke-Storer, M., Correa, V., & Tidd, S. (2009). The effects of postsecondary correctional education: Final report. Washington, DC: Urban Institute, Justice Policy Center.