The United States is home to more than 2 million incarcerated individuals, almost 1% of the population.[1] This incarceration rate is the largest in the world, and collectively represents over 20% of the world’s prison population.[2] The US spends $74 billion annually on corrections, and 50,000 incidents of violence behind bars are reported annually. Compounding this problem is the recidivism rate – 40% of prisoners will return to prison within 3 years of their release. This is partially due to the difficulty in receiving high-quality education and job training while incarcerated.
American Prison Data System (APDS) is focused addressing this problem by delivering education to prison inmates digitally via tablets. APDS partners with best-in-class content developers to provide programs including K-12 education, vocational training, health and rehabilitation, reentry and life skills, and a law library. APDS has also worked with technology partners to develop a customizable and secure tablet-based product. The open platform expands the breadth and depth of programming available with digital libraries, secure communications, and online courseware.
Through its education programs, APDS aims to both improve the quality of life for inmates and reduce the likelihood of recidivism upon release, providing a rare opportunity for impact investors to positively affect the prison system.
[1] US Bureau of Justice Statistics
[2] International Centre for Prison Studies
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