UMass Amherst Researchers Receive Spencer Vision Grant to Advance Equity in Correctional Education

Content

Dr. Michael Krezmien and Dr. Ryan Wells, in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Corrections, have been awarded a Spencer Foundation Vision Grant for their project Disability Identification, Integration, and Inclusion (DI3) in Correctional Education.

Through this planning grant, Krezmien and Wells will assemble a team of national experts to examine the current status of individuals with disabilities in the American prison system and to develop a model aimed at transforming prison education to ensure equity for incarcerated individuals with disabilities. The expert panel will include researchers, educators, advocacy attorneys, leaders from state departments of corrections, and individuals with lived experience of incarceration and disability.

People with disabilities are significantly overrepresented in prison populations and often face systemic barriers to accessing equitable educational opportunities. Despite this, researchers and practitioners have yet to fully identify these barriers or implement disability-specific interventions. As a result, inequities in access to and benefits from correctional education persist.

Over the course of 12 months, the DI3 team will use their collective expertise to develop a research agenda focused on building a more equitable, disability-conscious correctional education system. This planning effort is intended to support a future application for the Spencer Transformative Research Grant.