Education

College-level Courses Help Indiana Inmates Transition To Life After Prison

WBAA | By Peter Balonon-Rosen

Published June 8, 2016 at 11:20 AM EDT

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Crystal Garcia speaks to students at the Inside-Out graduation ceremony.

Peter Balonon-Rosen / Indiana Public Broadcasting

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Dariek speaks to classmates during an Inside-Out graduation ceremony.

Peter Balonon-Rosen / Indiana Public Broadcasting

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The Indianapolis Re-entry Educational Facility is designed to help male inmates transition back into society.

Peter Balonon-Rosen / Indiana Public Broadcasting

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Leah Hession speaks to students during an Inside-Out class at Indianapolis Re-entry Educational Facility.

Peter Balonon-Rosen / Indiana Public Broadcasting

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Inside-Out student, Dariek, poses with educator Crystal Garcia at a graduation ceremony.

Peter Balonon-Rosen / Indiana Public Broadcasting

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An-Inside-Out class at Indianapolis Re-entry Educational Facility brings college students and incarcerated people together to learn.

Peter Balonon-Rosen / Indiana Public Broadcasting

It may be no surprise that education makes it less likely for a person to end up back behind bars.

But since 2010 many higher education classes in Indiana prisons have faded.

Indiana Public Broadcasting’s Peter Balonon-Rosen reports on one remaining college-level program that not only educates students, but also transforms them in the process.