The main goal of this research was to examine the role of educational programs implemented in penal institutions from the perspective of experts who work with prisoners and ex-prisoners. The purpose of this research was to collect data on the usefulness of educational programs as well as on where experts see some space for their improvement. There were five female experts who participated in the research. Those experts have experience in working with prisoners and ex-prisoners, as well as experience in implementing educational programs in penal institutions. The participants are employed in non-profit organizations and come from different geographical regions. The method used for collecting the data was semi-structured interview, while data processing was performed using the thematic analysis method. The results of the research point to the usefulness of such programs for prisoners during and after the execution of the prison sentence, specific in the field of education, employment, restoration of family and partner relationships and acquisition of social skills. What the research results also point to is a wide spectrum of possibilities for their improvement, which unites the financial base, penal systems and non-profit organizations. The obtained results can serve as useful information while designing educational programs that will be implemented in penal institutions in the coming years, in order to make their implementation as efficient as possible, but also to meet the needs of prisoners and the needs of penal system as well as possible