Franklin University Awarded Post-Secondary Education College Programming Grant To Help Lower Recidivism and Improve Employment Opportunities

Contact:

Sherry Mercurio
Executive Director, Office of Community Relations
(614) 947-6581
Email: sherry.mercurio@franklin.edu

Franklin University, one of the leading educators of working adults in central Ohio, is proud to announce it has been selected to receive a two-year Post-Secondary Education College Programming grant funded by the State of Ohio, Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections. The grant award will further the University’s efforts to provide incarcerated individuals with educational opportunities that will lead to an increased chance of meaningful employment. Such credentials will allow these individuals better provide for themselves and their families and more effectively re-enter society.

The partnership with the London Correctional Institution provides many benefits and aligns well with Franklin’s mission to make relevant education accessible to the broadest community of learners.  Research has shown that offenders who participate in prison education programs are much less likely to return to prison, providing evidence of at least one mechanism that can help alter the cycle of crime and incarceration, which has and continues to plague many communities within the U.S. Thus, educational opportunities and credential attainment not only has the ability to be impactful at the individual level as part of the rehabilitation process by improving employment prospects, social mobility, and self-respect but also at the societal level by reducing rates of recidivism and the overall burden on our criminal justice system by reducing the overall amount of crime that occurs in our communities.

Over the past four academic years (2018-2022), Franklin has delivered 9,209 credit hours to students at London Correctional. These credit hours have equated to hundreds of credentials earned, including over 100 Applied Associate of Science in Business Administration degrees.

In addition to helping impact recidivism rates, providing skillset training and credentials to those currently incarcerated provides future workforce capacity. Companies of all sizes and across all industries have faced unprecedented challenges trying to find workers to fill open jobs. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, there are 9.8 million job openings in the United States. With nearly two million fewer Americans participating in the labor force today compared to February 2020, former inmates who have achieved certificates and degrees have the potential to help fill existing workforce gaps.

To learn more about Franklin University’s associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral programs, visit: https://www.franklin.edu/degrees.

About Franklin University

Accredited, nonprofit, and dedicated to educating adults since 1902, Franklin provides onsite course options at our Main Campus in downtown Columbus, Ohio, and is an innovator in providing personalized online education. The University offers applied in-demand undergraduate, masters, and doctorate programs that enable adult learners to achieve their educational and professional goals. Through agreements with partner institutions, the University also offers international academic programs, including its top-ranked MBA.

Franklin University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and holds specialized accreditations for specific academic programs through the International Accreditation Council for Business Education, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, and the Commission on Accreditation of Health Informatics and Information Management Education. The National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security have designated Franklin University as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE).