Research and Evaluation
This page is a gathering space for resources and guidelines related to research on the Inside-Out program and on evaluation of the program. The Inside-Out Center has an advisory board dedicated to research and evaluation questions. Feel free to reach out to this group: Evaluation and Research Committee.
Sarah Allred (Berry College)
Nina Johnson (Swarthmore College)
Michelle Ronda (Borough of Manhattan Community College)
Ernest Quimby (Howard University)
Barb Toews (University of Washington Tacoma)
Research on Inside-Out
In 2016, the Evaluation and Research Committee created a document, Perspectives on Ethical Inquiry, to help frame how program evaluation and research can echo the core features of the Inside-Out program. Those conducting research on any dimension of the program are asked to review these guidelines. The committee has also produced a collection of FAQs related to research (coming soon).
Evaluation and Assessment of Inside-Out
Inside-Out has no doubt touched the lives of tens of thousands of people around the world. Although we have numerous stories to tell regarding positive impacts, we don't have good data. Toward this end, The Inside-Out Center has endeavored to collect contact information for both inside and outside students who have completed Inside-Out courses. Here is a list of evaluation and assessment tools used by Inside-Out Instructors.
Rhea Ballard-Thrower - Howard University School of Law (2018) – this tool is largely for evaluation but also includes a self-assessment portion.
Carl Milofsky, a sociology professor from Bucknell University, uses a pre-class evaluation form to measure basic attitudes of students prior to the start of the class.
Research on Education in Correctional Institutions
We know that higher education opportunities for incarcerated individuals lower rates of recidivism. We will be posting articles and other research to help make the case that education programs like Inside-Out make a valuable societal impact. Here are some resources:
Rand Corporation: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Correctional Education – This research demonstrates that incarcerated individuals who engage in higher education while incarcerated have lower return-to-custody rates and higher levels of employment and wages upon release.