Arrested Development: Pursuing a Higher Education in Carceral Contexts

Engaging in pro-social activities such as postsecondary education during incarceration can help to transform offenders and move them in noncriminal directions. This article explores the process of beginning carceral higher education, drawing from interviews with 34 formerly incarcerated individuals who completed postsecondary classes at various state correctional facilities. It also discusses the participants’ readiness for change and changing perspectives experienced during incarceration. The study documents the value of carceral developments in shaping alternative pathways to crime and the role of contextual factors related to institutional confinement, higher education, and antithetical subcultural norms