91ֿ'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’s principal investigators, told WKBN that teaching incarcerated students is a unique classroom experience.
“They don’t have distractions from cell phones. They don’t have distractions that our students on the outside have, and they’re so hungry to learn because they don’t have a lot of access to knowledge here,” Robison told WKBN.
Through programs like this, 91ֿ helps students gain educational experiences that will help support them after incarceration.