Education in prison provides an opportunity for personal growth and increased professional opportunities upon release. As older people leave prison and return to communities, the need for education serves multiple functions including successful reentry and healthy aging. The aim of this research was to explore the current literature relevant to older people during incarceration and upon release. The authors conducted a systematic literature review on 15 years of research between 2008- 2023 to understand how education in prison impacts older people while incarcerated and upon release. Articles published prior to 2008 were excluded from this study. Twenty-seven articles were included in the study. The study included articles both in the United States and internationally. Findings indicate that older people in prison already have a greater level of education upon incarceration and they are often excluded from opportunities like Federal Pell Grants, which are prioritized for younger learners. This limits their opportunities for further education during incarceration. However, education provides positive benefi ts for older learners including improved cognitive ability, increased social capital, and longevity. These benefi ts are pivotal to older people leaving prison who have limited opportunities for prosocial connections. Correctional and reentry eff orts should emphasize learning for older adults to improve cognitive and social skills, reentry outcomes, and successful aging. Policy and research implications are discussed.
Education in prison provides an opportunity for personal growth and increased professional opportunities upon release. As older people leave prison and return to communities, the need for education serves multiple functions including successful reentry and healthy aging. The aim of this research was to explore the current literature relevant to older people during incarceration and upon release. The authors conducted a systematic literature review on 15 years of research between 2008- 2023 to understand how education in prison impacts older people while incarcerated and upon release. Articles published prior to 2008 were excluded from this study. Twenty-seven articles were included in the study. The study included articles both in the United States and internationally. Findings indicate that older people in prison already have a greater level of education upon incarceration and they are often excluded from opportunities like Federal Pell Grants, which are prioritized for younger learners. This limits their opportunities for further education during incarceration. However, education provides positive benefi ts for older learners including improved cognitive ability, increased social capital, and longevity. These benefi ts are pivotal to older people leaving prison who have limited opportunities for prosocial connections. Correctional and reentry eff orts should emphasize learning for older adults to improve cognitive and social skills, reentry outcomes, and successful aging. Policy and research implications are discussed.
