Journeys in Social Stigma: The Lives of Formerly Incarcerated Felons in Higher Education

While inmates are the subject of many outlets of popular media and research, this population is rarely, however, studied in any depth. Most forms of media overlook the rehabilitative efforts made by inmates. This study attempts to evaluate education as a form of rehabilitation and identify the struggles faced by inmates while trying to finish their degrees on a traditional college campus. This study does this by focusing on the stigma, both real and perceived, that former inmates battle and how they find ways to alleviate the harmful effects of stigma caused by former incarceration.