College Behind Bars: A Historiography of Higher Education in Prison.

This article provides a synthesized historiography of higher education in American prisons, focusing on the interplay of federal, state, and institutional policies across six states: California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New York, and Texas. It traces the evolution of prison college programs through four key periods defined by Pell Grant availability, highlighting how access to education for incarcerated students has fluctuated in response to shifting political attitudes toward crime and incarceration. The study emphasizes that reliance solely on federal funding, such as Pell Grants, is insufficient for sustaining these programs long-term, advocating instead for diversified funding sources including state support and philanthropy. It also underscores the importance of expanding historical research beyond limited existing sources to better understand and support the durability of higher education in prison initiatives.