Crafting Convict Criminologists: An Invitation to Join Us in Prison.

This article focuses on the challenges and opportunities of prison education amid the reintroduction of Pell Grants for incarcerated individuals in the United States. It highlights the prevalence of imposter syndrome—feelings of self-doubt and identity conflict—among incarcerated students and educators, emphasizing how communication-based educational programs can help overcome these barriers by fostering self-awareness, critical reflection, and connection. The concept of normalization, which aims to make prison conditions resemble those outside to support reintegration, is presented as a guiding framework for effective prison education. The authors advocate for expanded collaboration between incarcerated, formerly incarcerated, and outside educators to pilot and grow in-prison educational initiatives that promote identity transformation and reduce recidivism.