LEWISTON, Idaho – Lewis-Clark State College administrators received notification on Friday, Oct. 11, from the U.S. Department of Education that its rapidly expanding prison education program has successfully completed the final step of the Prison Education Program (PEP) approval process. LC State becomes the first and only Idaho institution to receive such approval.
According to Department of Education information, per its list published Oct. 2, 2024, LC State is one of only 11 approved Prison Education Programs in the nation. And among this group, it is one of only three institutions offering both associate and bachelor’s degrees.
The official PEP status means that LC State’s nearly 150 incarcerated students in Orofino, Boise, and Pocatello can, like students on campus, apply for and receive, if eligible, Pell grants.
“This is an important and impressive milestone not just for LC State but for Idaho,” said Josh Tewalt, director of the Idaho Department of Correction. “We know that education is directly related to people finding success and living crime-free after incarceration, and LC State is leading the way throughout Idaho to make these opportunities available. I thank President Pemberton and her team for their continued hard work and success.”
This fall, LC State has 76 students at the correctional institution in Orofino, 40 in Boise, and 12 at the women’s correctional center in Pocatello. It offers students both online and in-person coursework. The latter sets LC State apart and has proven to be a difference maker for students.
“Lewis-Clark State is proud to lead the way in prison education in Idaho,” LC State President Cynthia Pemberton said. “We specialize in meeting students where they are and treating them like a name, not a number. We are the right school to step out in front in this important space as Idaho seeks to reduce recidivism and increase its workforce. Earning this federal designation was no small feat, and I thank our small team for its hard work.”
In 2022, LC State was selected to participate in the Department of Education’s Second Chance Pell Experiment. This gave its Orofino students temporary access to Pell grants. PEP status makes this possible for all incarcerated LC State students beginning this fall and into the future.
Prior to receiving Department of Education approval, LC State was required and successfully obtained approval from the Idaho Department of Correction and the Idaho State Board of Education, along with accreditation review and approval by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
According to research by the RAND nonprofit and nonpartisan research organization, providing education in prison has proven to reduce recidivism rates and is associated with higher employment rates. A 2018 RAND study found that incarcerated individuals who participated in correctional education were 48 percent less likely to return to prison within three years than incarcerated individuals who did not participate in any correctional education program. RAND estimates that for every dollar invested in correctional education programs, $4 to $5 are saved on three-year re-incarceration costs.
Last May, LC State held a commencement ceremony for graduates of its prison education program at Idaho Correctional Institution - Orofino. The unique event was held outside at the facility’s recreation yard and was attended by 56 other students in the program. Administrators say similar on-site events will be planned and held as these students complete degrees.