Name: Class:

I went from prison to professor

Here’s why criminal records should not be used to keep people out of college
By Stanley Andrisse
2018

Dr. Stanley Andrisse is the executive director of From Prison Cells to PhD, Inc. This organization helps
formerly incarcerated people obtain higher education. He is also Assistant Professor of Medicine at Howard
University. In this informational text, Dr. Andrisse discusses access to high education for people who are, or
previously were, incarcerated. As you read, take notes on how education can affect someone who was or is
incarcerated.

[1] Beginning in 2019, the Common Application — an

online form that enables students to apply to the
800 or so colleges that use it — will no longer ask
students about their criminal pasts.

As a formerly incarcerated person who now is an

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endocrinologist and professor at two world-
renowned medical institutions — Johns Hopkins
Medicine and Howard University College of
Medicine — I believe this move is a positive one.
People’s prior convictions should not be held
against them in their pursuit of higher learning.
"Lemos de Brito penitenciary" by Apps for Good is licensed under
CC BY-SA 2.0
While I am enthusiastic about the decision to
remove the criminal history question from the Common Application, I also believe more must be done
to remove the various barriers that exist between formerly incarcerated individuals such as myself and
higher education.

I make this argument not only as a formerly incarcerated person who now teaches aspiring medical
doctors, but also as an advocate for people with criminal convictions. The organization I lead — From
Prison Cells to PhD — helped push for the change on the Common Application.

[5] My own story stands as a testament to the fact that today’s incarcerated person could become
tomorrow’s professor. A person who once sold illegal drugs on the street could become tomorrow’s
medical doctor. But this can only happen if such a person, and the many others in similar situations,
are given the chance.

There was a time not so long ago when some in the legal system believed I did not deserve a chance.
With three felony convictions, I was sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking as a prior and
persistent career criminal. My prosecuting attorney once stated that I had no hope for change.

Today, I am Dr. Stanley Andrisse. As a professor at Johns Hopkins and Howard University, I now help
train students who want to be doctors. I’d say that I have changed. Education was transformative.

1. a branch of medicine concerned with the glands and organs that make hormones

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 US incarceration rates the highest
The United States needs to have more of this transformative power of education. The country
incarcerates more people and at a higher rate than any other nation in the world. The U.S. accounts for
less than 5 percent of the world population but nearly 25 percent of the incarcerated population
around the globe.

Roughly 2.2 million people in the United States are essentially locked away in cages. About 1 in 5 of
those people are locked up for drug offenses.

[10] I was one of those people in prison not so long ago.

Early life of crime

Growing up in the Ferguson, North St. Louis area, I started selling drugs and getting involved with other
crimes at a very young age. I was arrested for the first time at age 14. By age 17, I was moving
substantial amounts of drugs across the state of Missouri and the country. By my early 20s, I found
myself sitting in front of a judge and facing 20 years to life for drug trafficking charges. The judge
sentenced me to 10 years in state prison.

When I stood in front of that judge, school was not really my thing.

Although I was a successful student athlete and received a near full scholarship to play football for
Lindenwood University, a Division II college football program, I found it difficult to get out of the drug
business. Suffice it to say, there were people in the drug world who wanted me to keep moving drugs.
And they made it clear that they would be extremely disappointed if I were to suddenly stop. So I
continued. For this reason, I didn’t view my undergraduate college experience the way I view education
now.

The transformative power of education

Education provides opportunities for people with criminal records to move beyond their experience
with the penal system and reach their full potential. The more education a person has, the higher their
income. Similarly, the more education a person has, the less likely they are to return to prison.

[15] A 2013 analysis of several studies found that obtaining higher education reduced recidivism — the rate
of returning to prison — by 43 percent and was four to five times less costly than re-incarcerating that
person. The bottom line is education increases personal income and reduces crime.

Despite these facts, education is woefully lacking among those being held in America’s jails and
prisons. Nearly 30 percent of America’s incarcerated — about 690,000 people — are released each year
and only 60 percent of those individuals have a GED or high school diploma, compared to 90 percent
of the overall of U.S. population over age 25. And less than 3 percent of the people released from
incarceration each year have a college degree, compared to 40 percent of the U.S. population.

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 Rejected by colleges
I had a bachelor’s degree by the time I went to prison but never got the chance to put it to use. Then
something tragic happened while I was serving time that prompted me to see the need to further my
education. Due to complications of diabetes, my father had his legs amputated. He fell into a coma and
lost his battle with Type 2 diabetes. I was devastated. This experience made me want to learn more
about how to fight this disease.

While incarcerated, I applied to six biomedical graduate programs. I was rejected from all but one —
Saint Louis University. Notably, I had a mentor from Saint Louis University who served on the
admission committee. Without that personal connection, I’m not sure I would have ever gotten a
second chance.

I finished near the top of my graduate school class, suggesting that I was likely qualified for the
programs that rejected me.

Restore Pell grants to incarcerated people

[20] Based on the difficulty I experienced in going from prison to becoming a college professor, I believe
there are things that should be done to remove barriers for incarcerated or formerly incarcerated
people who wish to pursue higher education.

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One of those barriers is cost. When the government removed Pell funding from prisons by issuing the
“tough on crime” Law Enforcement Act of 1994, the vast majority of colleges offering courses in prison
stopped. Due to the federal ban on receiving Pell grants while incarcerated, most of those serving time
are not able to afford to take college courses while in prison. The Obama administration took a step
toward trying to restore Pell grants for those in prison with the Second Chance Pell pilot. The program
has given over 12,000 incarcerated individuals across the nation the chance to use Pell grants toward
college courses in prison.

Through the program, 67 colleges and universities are working with over 100 prisons to provide college
courses to the incarcerated.

This program is at-risk of being discontinued at the end of 2018. Historically, some have argued that
allowing Pell dollars to be used by those in prison takes precious Pell dollars from people who did not
violate the law. However, the current Second Chance Pell pilot funding being directed to prisons, $30
million, accounts for 0.1 percent of the total $28 billion of Pell funding. Even if the program were
expanded, based on historical levels, it would still amount to one-half of 1 percent of all Pell funding.
This is justified by the impact that Pell dollars would have in prison in terms of reducing recidivism.

Remove questions about drug crimes from federal aid forms

Federal policymakers could increase opportunities by removing Question 23 on the federal student aid
form that asks if applicants have been convicted of drug crimes. A 2015 study found that nearly 66
percent of would-be undergraduates who disclosed a conviction on their college application did not
finish their application.

2. a program that awards financial aid to eligible students

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[25] Federal student aid applicants likely feel the same discouragement. I felt discouraged myself when I
was applying to graduate programs when I came across the question about whether I had ever been
convicted of a crime. It made me feel like I was nothing more than a criminal in the eyes of the college
gatekeepers.

This question also disproportionately effects people of color, since people of color are
disproportionately impacted by the criminal justice system. Furthermore, the question runs the risk of
making formerly incarcerated people feel isolated and less valuable than those who’ve never gotten in
trouble with the law.

When people who have been incarcerated begin to feel like they don’t belong and higher education is
not for them, our nation will likely not be able to realize their potential and hidden talents.

It will be as if we have locked them up and thrown away the key.

“I went from prison to professor” by Stanley Andrisse, Howard University, August 16, 2018. Copyright © The Conversation 2018, CC-BY-ND.

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 Text-Dependent Questions
Directions: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.

1. PART A: Which statement best expresses the central idea of the text?
A. People with criminal backgrounds benefit from education more so than the
people without a criminal history and should be given priority in academic
programs.
B. Incarcerated people, and people previously incarcerated, can benefit from
receiving an education but often face obstacles in obtaining one.
C. Many previously incarcerated people are not accepted into undergraduate or
graduate programs because they were unable to adequately prepare while in
prison.
D. Crimes related to drug trafficking aren’t serious and the people who commit
them shouldn’t be as severely punished.

2. PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A?
A. “The U.S. accounts for less than 5 percent of the world population but nearly 25
percent of the incarcerated population around the globe.” (Paragraph 8)
B. “By age 17, I was moving substantial amounts of drugs across the state of
Missouri and the country. By my early 20s, I found myself sitting in front of a
judge and facing 20 years to life for drug trafficking charges.” (Paragraph 11)
C. “Based on the difficulty I experienced in going from prison to becoming a college
professor, I believe there are things that should be done to remove barriers for
incarcerated or formerly incarcerated people who wish to pursue higher
education.” (Paragraph 20)
D. “This program is at-risk of being discontinued at the end of 2018. Historically,
some have argued that allowing Pell dollars to be used by those in prison takes
precious Pell dollars from people who did not violate the law.” (Paragraph 23)

3. What is the author’s overall purpose in the text?

A. to convince readers that drug related crimes aren’t very serious but are
punished more seriously than other crimes
B. to show readers why it’s important for incarcerated people to have improved
access to education and how it can be done
C. to complain about the difficult time he had applying and being accepted into
graduate programs
D. to discourage readers from ever getting in trouble with the law, as the
consequences follow you forever

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4. Which statement best describes how the author views the way that incarcerated, or
formerly incarcerated, people are treated when they disclose their crimes on certain
applications?
A. He thinks they are unfairly judged for their crimes or feel as if they will be
judged and don’t finish the application.
B. He thinks their criminal history has no impact on whether or not they are
accepted into academic programs, but they’re treated differently when they
arrive.
C. He thinks they are only allowed to apply to certain colleges and are denied any
funding from financial aid organizations.
D. He thinks they are not allowed any privacy, as students and teachers of the
college they apply to are notified of their criminal status.

5. What is the relationship between incarcerated people’s pursuit of education and the
benefits to them and society? Cite evidence from the text to support your response.

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 Discussion Questions
Directions: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be prepared to
share your original ideas in a class discussion.

1. In the text, the author discusses how he was likely not accepted to several graduate
programs because of his incarcerated status. Do you think this is fair? Do you think a
person’s criminal record should have any impact on their consideration for academic
programs? Why or why not?

2. In the text, the author discusses how an education can improve a previously incarcerated
person’s income and diminish the likelihood that they’ll reoffend. What other useful skills
do you think an education provides previously incarcerated people? How might academic
classes help formerly incarcerated people transition to life outside of prison?

3. How do inmates and previously incarcerated people face more obstacles than other
citizens when pursuing an education? Do you agree with the author’s suggestions for how
to improve incarcerated people’s access to education? What else do you think could be
done?