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Abstract
Since the 1970s, the incarcerated population in the United States has grown exponentially. The country currently has the highest incarceration rate in the world and disproportionately incarcerates members of marginalized communities despite the known negative impacts on life chances and prosocial behavior. Because of these established consequences, educational programming is becoming more prevalent among incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals. Previous research links participation in higher education during or after incarceration to reductions in recidivism and increased employment opportunities upon release. However, there is little inquiry into the mechanisms driving these results or the nonmaterial resources allowing certain individuals to be successful in their pursuit of higher education. There is also limited focus on the potential benefits of higher education beyond recidivism or job attainment. To address these gaps in the existing literature, I conducted 14 semi-structured interviews with formerly incarcerated individuals. I also use multiple regression models to test life course theory mechanisms and community cultural wealth moderators linking higher education to reincarceration, voting history, paid time off, and annual income. The analysis of my interviews identifies several nonmaterial resources that influence an individual’s decision to participate in higher education and impact their academic and social success in the process. Further, my qualitative results indicate that participation in higher education has positive outcomes beyond reincarceration and job attainment, including increased confidence or self-esteem and higher job satisfaction. Responses show a link between job satisfaction and occupations that help or give back to the community, particularly among women. My quantitative analysis supports the qualitative results. Findings show a significant direct relationship between community cultural wealth and reincarceration, voting history, paid time off, and annual income, though the moderating relationship is less supported. Findings also show a significant relationship between life course theory mediators and these outcomes.