Higher education in the prison system

With the Bologna Process in 1999, it was decided to open up universities and provide access to education for all. Nevertheless, one group still remains underexposed in German-speaking countries: Students in prison. Against the backdrop of the demand for high-quality education for all, the conference on "Higher education in the prison system" will take place on June 18 and 19, 2026. The conference will focus on the opportunities and challenges of post-secondary education in the prison system. Central topics include questions of inclusion and exclusion in higher education in connection with criminal offences, the legal framework and the discussion of how knowledge and expertise are defined in this context.

The aim of the conference is to promote exchange between the actors involved, strengthen networks and create transparency - especially with regard to the legal situation. In the long term, the conference is intended to provide impetus for improving study conditions in the prison system and contribute to a differentiated examination of delinquency. Researchers and students from all disciplines, representatives of the Ministries of Justice, employees in prisons, the Federal Working Group of Teachers in the Prison System, the Criminological Research Center (KrimZ), competence centers for the training and further education of staff and the further development of the prison system, members of relevant associations and societies as well as the Prison System Archive will be addressed.

The event will be held in German.

Responsible: INCHER

Organisations involved: University of Kassel, Fachhochschule Dortmund - University of Applied Sciences, ASH Berlin, Prison Archive, Society for Interdisciplinary Scientific Criminology (GiwK) and Tatort Zukunft e.V. 

Contact: Magdalena Fellner