Raising the standard: How we evaluate for impact, equity, and excellence
At Edovo, our responsibility is twofold: to deliver transformative education to incarcerated learners and to maintain the security and trust of every correctional facility we serve. That means our content must do more than educate—it must uphold standards of safety, security, relevance, and educational and rehabilitative value.
Once your content passes Edovo’s initial screening, it enters our Evaluation process—a quality review rooted in more than 13 years of experience designing digital education for incarcerated adults. Evaluation isn’t about critique—it’s how we spotlight resources that reflect the highest standards of learning, usability, and impact. This article outlines what we assess and why it matters.
- Step 5: Your Ripple Effect Starts at Publish
Your cheat sheet for this article
Evaluation starts after screening confirms your content is safe, appropriate, and aligned with Edovo’s mission.
Our Evaluation process highlights content that meets the highest standards for impact, relevance, and usability in correctional education.
Correctional Agencies, not Edovo, ultimately decide what content is eligible (or not) for their programming.
We evaluate content using a research-based rubric informed by adult learning theory,feedback from Learners and facility staff, and over a decade of platform data.
The goal of Evaluation is partnership—to surface content that transforms lives and builds second chances.
Depending on demand, the screening, evaluation, and publishing process may take up to 30 business days.
What evaluation is, and why it matters
At Edovo, we’ve spent over a decade listening to correctional educators, program administrators, parole boards, judges, and—most importantly—incarcerated learners. That experience, gathered across hundreds of facilities and millions of learning sessions, has shaped a clear, research-informed understanding of what makes education meaningful and transformative behind the walls. Not every item needs to meet every benchmark—but when it does, we call it Edovo’s Best.
Our Evaluation process is how we apply that knowledge. It’s not a grading system. It’s a spotlight—used to recognize content that reflects the strongest practices in digital education for corrections.
Just as a university might designate “honors” for exceptional student work, or a publisher might label a title a “staff pick,” we reserve our highest distinction—Edovo’s Best—for content that exemplifies what’s possible when design, voice, and outcomes align.
With over a million people accessing the Edovo platform, there are over a million ways to connect, teach, and make an impact. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach—no single format, tone, or teaching style that reaches everyone the same way. But there is a clear, research-backed standard for what helps learning resonate, stick, and change lives in a correctional setting—and that’s what our evaluation process is designed to highlight.
Some content is meant to teach. Some to inspire. Some to hold space for healing or spark meaningful reflection. The goal? To raise the bar behind bars—because education inside shouldn’t be second-rate. It should be second chances, done right.
Our evaluation framework helps us identify what strong digital learning looks like in correctional settings. It outlines the qualities that make content effective, inclusive, and transformational—backed by over a decade of hands-on experience, adult learning theory, trauma-informed practices, and real feedback from learners and staff.
Here’s what we look for during our screening process:
Content Safety & Compliance Standards
Edovo maintains strict content standards to ensure safety and security within correctional facilities. Content must not include any of the following:
Security & Safety Threats:
Instructions for making or using weapons, explosives, chemical agents, or incendiary devices
Escape techniques, facility blueprints, security protocols, or information that could aid escape attempts
Methods to bypass security systems, monitoring, or communication restrictions
Instructions for manufacturing, concealing, or smuggling contraband
Location information that could compromise facility security (GPS coordinates, staff schedules, specific security procedures)
Substance-Related Instructions:
Instructions for brewing alcohol, fermenting substances, or manufacturing intoxicants
Instructions for manufacturing, obtaining, or concealing illegal drugs or controlled substances
Instructions for misusing legal substances to achieve intoxication
Prohibited Activities:
Instructions for making tattoo equipment, tattoo ink, or tattoo patterns/imagery usable as stencils
Instructions or encouragement for gambling activities
Instructions for committing cybercrimes (hacking, phishing, identity theft, fraud)
Instructions for committing financial crimes or fraudulent schemes
Violence & Criminal Behavior:
Content that promotes, encourages, or provides instruction on committing criminal acts
Content that describes or encourages physical violence against others
Content that advocates or encourages riots, protests, rebellion, facility disruption, or legal violations
Content displaying gang signs, symbols, or promoting gang culture or criminal lifestyle
Threats of physical harm, blackmail, extortion, or intimidation
Exploitative or Harmful Content:
Content that is sexually explicit, pornographic, or sexually suggestive in nature
Content that sexualizes or exploits minors in any way
Content containing graphic violence, gore, or injury for shock value
Detailed instructions for self-harm or suicide methods (crisis resources and mental health support content are permitted)
Content that personally identifies or doxxes currently incarcerated individuals, crime victims, witnesses, correctional staff, or others in ways that could cause harm
Discriminatory Content:
Content that promotes hate speech, discrimination, or violence against protected groups based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or other protected characteristics
Content promoting extremist ideologies, terrorist organizations, or radicalization
Commercial & Privacy Violations:
Advertisements, promotional material, or commercial solicitations
Content that violates intellectual property rights or privacy laws
Content providing false or misleading legal or medical advice presented as professional guidance
Production quality
- Formatted for clarity, readability, and ease of use on 7–12” tablets.
- Is the content visually clean, with consistent formatting and accessible fonts?
- Is audio clear and free of background noise?
- Are visuals sharp, purposeful, and legible on screen?
Multimodal delivery
- Uses varied formats to support different learning styles and increase engagement.
- Does the content include more than one medium (e.g., text, video, audio, images)?
- Are these elements used intentionally to reinforce key ideas?
- Does the mix of formats enhance understanding and keep attention?
Market relevance
- Equips learners with skills, insights, or tools that matter inside and beyond the facility.
- Does the content prepare learners for reentry, employment, or continued education?
- Does it address life skills, recovery, emotional wellness, or digital literacy?
- Would this be relevant or valuable in a community or workforce setting?
The Gist of It All
At Edovo, evaluation isn’t about grading—it’s about recognizing content that changes lives. We highlight learning experiences that are research-based, inclusive, and built to empower incarcerated learners.
Our top distinction, Edovo’s Best, goes to content that teaches with purpose, supports rehabilitation, and prepares people for success beyond the walls. The goal: to raise the bar behind bars—and make every lesson a step toward a second chance.
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TL;DR: let’s raise the bar, together
Evaluation is where standards meet story—where best practices meet personal mission. Whether your content is a 20-minute video, a 20-lesson course, or a single powerful newsletter, our job is to make sure it lands where it matters most: in hands, in hearts, and in facilities.
