U.S. Imprisonment and Education
Open Access DepositedWell-Being in and Beyond Incarceration
Incarceration has significant and mostly negative impacts on the well-being of the justice-impacted population, both in and after prison, during reentry. This interview-based qualitative study of previously incarcerated people examines how education promotes well-being, defined as health, happiness, and prosperity, during and after imprisonment. Previous research has identified various negative effects of carceral settings and the challenges of reentry and finds that education benefits the justice-impacted population. Using the lens of well-being, this study identifies mechanisms through which these benefits occur, offering insights into education’s transformative potential. In and beyond jail and prison, confinement undermines physical and mental health, including a sense of purpose. Education can ameliorate the harm caused by incarceration and facilitate greater well-being, improving respondents’ overall condition and enhancing the likelihood of successful reentry.
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