The Historical Practice of Correctional Education in the United States: a Review of the Literature

This paper explores the historical practice of correctional education in the U.S. as found through an extensive review of the literature. The paper will discuss practice of correctional education from the colonial period to the present, with respect to the various programs offered to inmates. The writer will describe the current characteristics of inmates in U.S. prisons and discuss the impact the academic programs tend to have upon the lives of inmates. Finally, this paper will briefly discuss some of the issues that challenge many correctional educational programs today, including the need for future research.