PRISON EDUCATION PROGRAMS HAD THEIR ORIGINS BOTH IN THE UNITED STATES AND ABROAD IN RELIGIOUS AND MORAL INSTRUCTION OFFERED DURING THE LATE 18TH CENTURY. SINCE THAT TIME, PROGRESS OF PRISON PROGRAMS HAS VARIED GREATLY FROM STATE TO STATE AND EVEN FROM INSTITUTION TO INSTITUTION. IN ADDITION, THE QUALITY AND DEGREE OF PARTICIPATION IN SUCH PROGRAMS VARIES WIDELY. COLLEGE LEVEL PROGRAMS ARE RARE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES, STILL LARGELY IN THE EXPERIMENTAL STAGE, AND DEPENDENT ON CORRESPONDENCE-TYPE PROGRAMS. DATA AVAILABLE FOR THE UNITED STATES SUGGEST A SIGNIFICANT GROWTH IN ALL TYPES OF PRISON EDUCATION PROGRAMS AT THE COLLEGE LEVEL. IN 1966, A NATIONWIDE SURVEY OF 55 PRISON SYSTEMS FOUND THAT 27 OFFERED COLLEGE-LEVEL CORRESPONDENCE COURSES, 17 OFFERED EXTENSION COURSES, 3 OFFERED TELEVISED INSTRUCTION, AND 3 HAD STUDY RELEASE PROGRAMS. NONE, HOWEVER, OFFERED THE POSSIBILITY OF OBTAINING A BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE. PRISONERS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD ARE OFTEN POOR, UNSKILLED, AND UNDEREDUCATED. HOWEVER, IN THE UNITED STATES AND OTHER DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, THERE EXIST ENOUGH POTENTIAL PRISONER/STUDENTS WHO HAVE OR EASILY CAN COMPLETE A SECONDARY EDUCATION TO JUSTIFY THE DEVELOPMENT OF POSTSECONDARY PROGRAMS. IN 1975, FEDERAL PRISONERS COMPLETED 9,000 COLLEGE-LEVEL COURSES AND 158 ASSOCIATE DEGREES, 19 BACCALAUREATE DEGREES, AND 2 MASTER'S DEGREES. ENROLLMENT IN STATE PRISON COURSES IS PROBABLY SOMEWHAT LOWER, WITH SOME EXCEPTIONS IN INDIVIDUAL STATES. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS INSIDE PRISONS GO BACK AS FAR AS 1939. NEW DELIVERY ALTERNATIVES TO COLLEGE CORRESPONDENCE COURSES ARE BEING DEVELOPED, SUCH AS THE 'UNIVERSITY WITHOUT WALLS,' CLOSED-CIRCUIT TELEVISION, AND AUDIOVISUAL TAPES AND CASSETTES. A NUMBER OF STUDY RELEASE PROGRAMS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE AND MAY INVOLVE A COMBINATION INSIDE/OUTSIDE PROGRAM, SPECIAL OUTSIDE CLASSES FOR PRISONERS, ATTENDANCE IN REGULAR CLASSES, AND EVEN HALFWAY-HOUSE-TYPE CAMPUS RESIDENCES FOR INMATES. CLEARLY, MORE PRISONERS COULD BENEFIT FROM ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION RESOURCES. IT IS, HOWEVER, DIFFICULT TO ASSESS THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF COMBINATION STUDY RELEASE PROGRAMS AND/OR AUDIOVISUAL TECHNOLOGY. COST FOR SUCH PROGRAMS MAY BE BORNE BY THE PRISONER, THE PRISON, THE STATE OR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, OTHER SOURCES, OR A COMBINATION OF SOURCES. FOR INMATES WHO LACK FUNDS, COLLEGE COSTS CAN REPRESENT A SERIOUS BARRIER. ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS ARE THE GEOGRAPHIC ISOLATION OF MANY CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES FROM EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES, THE LACK OF POSTRELEASE LINKAGES, COMPETITION OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS WITH OTHER PRISON PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES, THE TRANSFERABILITY OF COLLEGE CREDITS, AND THE PROVISION OF HOUSING AND/OR STUDY SPACE FOR PRISONER STUDENTS. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (JAP)