The Future of Education

This qualitative phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of formerly incarcerated students attending a four-year public university in Southern California. While extensive research has demonstrated that prison education reduces recidivism, much less research explores what happens after release; particularly for individuals pursuing a four-year degree within higher education. This study centers around the voices of formerly incarcerated students to better understand the barriers and challenges they face, the support systems that help them, and how their experiences shape their perceptions of education and self. Grounded in Bourdieu’s theory of social reproduction (1986), the research examines how higher education institutions may inadvertently reproduce systemic inequities through economic, cultural, and social capital structures. Formerly incarcerated students often hold intersecting marginalized identities which compound their experiences of exclusion. The research found that participants encountered housing and financial instability, structural obstacles, and limited institutional infrastructure specifically designed to support their needs. Although access to higher education was possible, equitable navigation was not guaranteed. Students described being afraid of disclosing their history and attempted to carefully manage how, when, and to whom they revealed their incarceration history to. Participants also experienced both internalized and social stigma, as well as having feelings of not belonging. All identified having basic needs insecurity, which included housing and employment challenges. This significantly impacted academic focus and persistence for all participants. While participants identified faculty mentorship, peer networks, and culturally responsive advising necessary to be successful within their educational trajectories; they also identified that their institution lacked them. The findings of this research suggest that access to higher education institutions alone is insufficient. Institutions must move beyond symbolic inclusion and implement structural reforms. This includes dedicated housing and basic needs support, expanded financial aid and employment reform, institutionalized support programs for justice-impacted students that are culturally responsive, and most importantly greater buy in from institutional administration. This study aims to shift the conversation from recidivism reduction to equity, belonging, and institutional responsibility. It challenges colleges and universities to reimagine their role not as neutral spaces, but rather as active participants in either reproducing or disrupting systemic inequality.