Career and Technical Education in Prison Using Emerging Technologies – Stanly County, NC

Social Benefit

A report commissioned by the ETS Center for Research on Human Capital and Education emphasizes the importance of education in reentry planning and presents a compelling case for improving the education and skills of the incarcerated population. (Steurer, 2020) Additionally, the acquisition of technical skills and job training during incarceration can provide prisoners with the necessary credentials and expertise to secure employment upon release, thereby reducing the likelihood of reoffending. (Dreilinger & Dreilinger, 2022) 

Therefore, career education in prison not only enhances the employability of individuals post-release but also contributes to their overall rehabilitation and successful reintegration into society. (McNeeley, 2023; NCES Blog | Education and Training Opportunities in America’s Prisons, 2017) Federal statistics regarding recidivism demonstrate a need to create paths for more successful reentry into society for our nation’s prison population. (Measuring Recidivism | National Institute of Justice, n.d.)

Technology Integration

Incorporating tablets into prison education can greatly benefit prisoners in their career development. Tablets can serve as valuable tools for delivering educational content, facilitating skill development, and preparing individuals for future employment opportunities. 

Leveraging tablets for portfolio development allows prisoners to showcase their academic achievements and practical projects, which can be essential for demonstrating their skills to potential employers. (You, 2023) Additionally, technology has been shown to enhance motivation and engagement in classroom-based learning for incarcerated students, offering a solution to the education delivery challenge in correctional facilities and contributing to long-term solutions for reducing recidivism. (Badejo & Chakraborty, 2022) Furthermore, tablets can support digital conversations, provide access to digital versions of textbooks, and enable the storage and organization of educational materials, thereby enhancing the learning experience and skill acquisition for prisoners. (Hennick, 2020) 

Prisoners in North Carolina, including the Albemarle Correctional Institute (ACI) in Stanly County, currently have access to tablets. (Crumpler & Crumpler, 2023) An ACI prison official claimed that prisoners generally use the tablets for entertainment purposes (purchasing movies, for example), but that they also some access to some free educational applications. 

Overall, the use of tablets in prison education can play a pivotal role in equipping individuals with the technical skills and knowledge necessary for successful career development and reintegration into the workforce upon release. Several examples demonstrate the use of tablets in career education programs:

1. Auto Body Collision, Automotive Technology, Dental Technology, Electrical Trades, Cosmetology, Culinary and Hospitality Arts, Welding and Manufacturing, Pre-Nursing, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Engineering and Robotics: These are some of the career technical programs where iPads are used to enhance learning experiences. (CareerLabsVR, 2022)

2. Automotive Education: Tablets are used to transform automotive education, allowing students to document their work through photos and videos, and to use diagnostic scanning tools that connect to the tablets via Bluetooth. (Hennick, 2020)

3. Digital Portfolios and Educational Apps: Tablets are utilized for creating digital portfolios showcasing academic achievements, projects, and practical work, as well as for accessing e-books, educational apps, and online courses. (You, 2023)

4. Practical IT Applications: Tablets are employed to teach practical IT skills, such as computer coding, computer development, and other IT skills that can benefit students in the long run. (Hennick, 2020)

These examples illustrate how tablets are integrated into various career education programs, providing students with access to educational resources, tools for documentation, and practical skill development.

Virtual reality (VR) can be utilized in prison education to provide immersive career and workforce training simulations, offering incarcerated individuals a glimpse of different careers and practical job-specific tasks. Transfr, for instance, uses VR to develop immersive career and workforce training simulations for industries such as manufacturing, carpentry, public safety, hospitality, and automotive, tailoring the training to K-12 students in collaboration with Boys & Girls Clubs in various states. (Salman & Salman, 2022; Transfr Overview, 2023)

Additionally, CareerLabsVR offers a fully immersive and interactive experience for job seekers to explore careers and complete job-specific tasks, providing a hands-on approach to career exploration through VR simulations. (CareerLabsVR, 2022) The use of VR in career education not only allows individuals to experience different professions but also provides a safe environment for learning and making mistakes without real-world consequences, ultimately enhancing their training experience and career readiness. 

Therefore, VR can play a significant role in expanding career education opportunities for prisoners by offering realistic and engaging training experiences that can contribute to their successful reintegration into the workforce upon release. (Badejo & Chakraborty, 2022) Several examples of virtual reality (VR) career education programs for prisoners include:

1. Transfr: This tech firm provides free virtual technical education, including automotive training, to disadvantaged individuals at various venues, including state correctional institutions, to build classroom-to-career pathways for future workers. (Transfr Overview, 2023)

2. Colorado Department of Corrections: The department contracted with a virtual reality company to develop a three-year VR-based re-entry program for former juvenile lifers, aiming to bridge the gap between their potentially stunted cognitive functions and the required skills needed to re-enter society. (Singer, 2023)

3. Pennsylvania Department of Corrections: The department is working with WRAP Technologies in a VR training pilot program that enhances positive interactions among inmates and their families, using immersive VR headsets to teach life/social skills, conflict resolution, and improved decision-making prior to release. (Introducing Inmates to Real Life via Virtual Reality, 2018)

These examples demonstrate the use of VR in various career education programs within correctional institutions, aiming to prepare incarcerated individuals for successful reintegration into the workforce and society.  According to an AIC prison official, Stanly Community College (SCC) sends educators to the prison to teach a few trades, such as electrical wiring or HVAC. However, the CTE courses are quite limited. (Albemarle Correctional Institution | NC DAC, n.d.) Programs incorporating VR could open up many more opportunities for inmates in a variety of fields.

The pre-existing relationship with SCC is an important one, as it connects the prison to the local community.  Creating further community partnerships related to new compentencies, such as welding, in conjunction with VR courses could create opportunities for prisoners to become gainfully employed immediately upon release.

Literature Review

1. Article: Dreilinger, D., & Dreilinger, D. (2022, February 10). Prisons are training inmates for the next generation of in-demand jobs. The Hechinger Report. https://hechingerreport.org/prisons-are-training-inmates-for-the-next-generation-of-high-tech-jobs/

Reflection: Overall, the articles emphasize the importance of providing education and vocational training to prisoners to improve their employability and reduce the risk of reoffending. These programs aim to equip inmates with the skills and certifications needed to secure employment in high-demand industries, ultimately contributing to their successful reintegration into society.

2. Article: McNeeley, S. (2023). The effects of vocational education on recidivism and employment among individuals released before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 67(15), 1547–1564. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624×231159886

Reflection: This article indicates the need for community partnerships that help provide vocational rehabilitation for prisoners, not just as part of an education program for the incarcerated, but in building real opportunities for employment once inmates are released.

3. Measuring Recidivism | National Institute of Justice. (n.d.). National Institute of Justice. https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/measuring-recidivism 

Reflection: This research from the federal government shows data about prisoner recidivism in the United States. 

4. Article: NCES Blog | Education and training opportunities in America’s prisons. (2017, January). https://nces.ed.gov/blogs/nces/post/education-and-training-opportunities-in-america-s-prisons

Reflection: The data in this article indicates that prisoners often have opportunities to work while incarcerated.  However, the types of jobs that they perform do not incorporate skills that are important in the job market once they have been released from prison.  Thus, these experiences do not help them when they try to reenter the job market.

5. Article: Steurer, S. J. (2020, August). How to Unlock the Power of Prison Education. Department of Education. Retrieved November 25, 2023, from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED607341.pdf

Reflection: This article suggests that prisoners, being severely limited from interaction with the outside world, have a difficult time with keeping up with changes, such as the fast pace of emerging technology. Providing education to them regarding these skills is needed in order to make their transitions back into society more successful.

Social Good Plan

Table 1. Social Good Plan

Career and Technical Education (CTE) in Prison Using Emerging Technologies Primary Goal: Enhance prisoners’ prospects of successfully reentering society through trade skill education, reducing recidivism.
Strategy	Goal	Responsible Parties	Resources	Timeline	Indicators of Success
Establish an Implementation Committee (IC) with members from diverse perspectives (prison employees, prison supervisor, prisoner, career educator, prison educator, social services representative, etc.)	Ensure equity and efficacy of the process and plan	Team Leader	Human	2 weeks	Meetings attended by aforementioned stakeholders Observations of active engagement of members (multiple perspectives expressed, for example)
Meet weekly as an IC to discuss ideas, listen to feedback from leaders of successful programs in other locations, and create a list of needs for the CTE program as well as a list of measurable goals, such as a reduced recidivism percentage 3 years after program implementation.	Establish a list of criteria for success for this educational initiative.	IC Team Team Leader – arranges meetings with outside speakers, leads meetings, provides agendas	Human Technology for note-taking	4 weeks for criteria list On-going meetings until project is fully implemented and formally evaluated	Regular attendance and participation by team members Criteria list submitted Success criteria list submitted
IC creates subcommittees described below and given an idea of budget allowances by team leader.	Distributive leadership Shared ownership	IC Team Team Leader	Human Budget	1 week	Each member has an active role in on-going implementation efforts
The Tablet Committee (TC) selects a financially feasible program to use with existing tablets for prisoner bookwork.	Create opportunities for prisoners to learn background information in several careers in order to choose one of most interest. Begin prisoners in a more controlled learning environment to earn their way to a VR learning opportunity.	TC	Human Tablets Technology Infrastructure Technology Program Budget for program Space for Learning	4 weeks – simultaneous with other committees	TC is able to find a program that meets criteria established by the IC.
The Virtual Reality Committee (VRC) selects a financially feasible program to use for VR CTE experiences for prisoners.	Create opportunities for hands-on learning of trade skills for prisoners.	VRC	Human VR Equipment Technology Infrastructure Technology Program Budget for program Space for Learning	4 weeks – simultaneous with other committees	VRC is able to find a program that meets criteria established by the IC.
The Prisoner Selection Committee (PSC) creates a list of criteria to use in selecting prisoners for program participation, with Tablet Learning as Tier 1 leading to the Virtual Reality Learning as Tier 2.	Create criteria that sets guidelines for selecting prisoners equitably with the most potential for positive impact. Establish criteria for Tier 2 that includes, at a minimum, educator observations of inmate success in Tier 1.	PSC	Human Technology for Note-Taking Data from Prison Education and Behavior Reports	4 weeks – simultaneous with other committees	PSC is able to find a program that meets criteria established by the IC.
The IC discusses the results from all of the committees and makes changes as deemed necessary by the committee.	Ensure equity and efficacy of the project.	IC	Human Technology for Note-Taking	2 weeks	Final recommendations approved by the committee
The IC seeks grants or partnerships, particularly with local businesses, to pay for any unmet expenses related to the software or equipment needs.	Form new partnerships with local businesses to create job opportunities for prisoners immediately upon release.	IC	Human Financial	Two months On-going	Finances procured to provide apps and equipment as needed. Increased employment for prisoners immediately upon release.
The IC fulfills any grant or sponsorship commitments.	Maintain positive relationships with grantors and sponsors to encourage continued support.	Team Leader IC Prison financial officer	Human	On-going (according to grant or sponsorship contracts)	Requirements of grants or partnerships fulfilled.
Implement IC plan and meet at least monthly as IC to discuss program data.	Enhance prisoners’ prospects of successfully reentering society through trade skill education, reducing recidivism.	Team Leader Prison employees Prison supervisor Prison educator	Human Technology as indicated in plan	On-going	IC meets at least monthly to discuss prisoner progress. Measure success against the IC’s earlier created success criteria list, including determining the updated recidivism percentage

References

Albemarle Correctional Institution | NC DAC. (n.d.). https://www.dac.nc.gov/divisions-and-sections/prisons/prison-facilities/albemarle-correctional-institution

Badejo, J. A., & Chakraborty, J. (2022). The effects of technology on incarcerated student motivation and engagement in classroom-based learning. Human-Intelligent Systems Integration, 4(3–4), 71–80. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42454-022-00044-8

CareerLabsVR. (2022, April 26). Explore Careers With The Power Of Virtual Reality | CareerLabsVR. https://careerlabsvr.com/

Crumpler, R., & Crumpler, R. (2023, October 19). Advocates, state officials work toward reforms to improve conditions for people working and residing in NC prisons. North Carolina Health News. https://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2023/10/19/advocates-state-officials-work-toward-reforms-to-improve-conditions-for-people-working-and-residing-in-nc-prisons/

Dreilinger, D., & Dreilinger, D. (2022, February 10). Prisons are training inmates for the next generation of in-demand jobs. The Hechinger Report. https://hechingerreport.org/prisons-are-training-inmates-for-the-next-generation-of-high-tech-jobs/

Hennick, C. (2020, May 6). Career-Focused schools use technology to help students advance. Technology Solutions That Drive Education. https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2017/07/career-focused-schools-use-technology-help-students-advance

Introducing inmates to real life via virtual reality. (2018, March 15). https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2018-03-15/introducing-inmates-to-real-life-via-virtual-reality

McNeeley, S. (2023). The effects of vocational education on recidivism and employment among individuals released before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 67(15), 1547–1564. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624×231159886

Measuring Recidivism | National Institute of Justice. (n.d.). National Institute of Justice. https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/measuring-recidivism

NCES Blog | Education and training opportunities in America’s prisons. (2017, January). https://nces.ed.gov/blogs/nces/post/education-and-training-opportunities-in-america-s-prisons

Perplexity. (n.d.). https://www.perplexity.ai/

Salman, J., & Salman, J. (2022, November 22). With virtual reality, students get a glimpse of different careers. The Hechinger Report. https://hechingerreport.org/with-virtual-reality-students-get-a-glimpse-of-different-careers/

Singer, D. (2023, April 27). Inmates are using VR to learn real-world skills. MIT Technology Review. https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/04/26/1071412/inmates-vr-real-world-skills-incarcerated-instructions/

Steurer, S. J. (2020, August). How to Unlock the Power of Prison Education. Department of Education. Retrieved November 25, 2023, from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED607341.pdf

Transfr Overview. (2023, September 6). [Video]. Transfr Inc. https://transfrinc.com/You, T. F. (2023, November 20). Technology For You. https://www.technologyforyou.org/leveraging-tablets-for-career-development-ten-essential-strategies-for-students/