NCJ Number
211687
Journal
Journal of Correctional Education Volume: 56 Issue: 3 Dated: September 2005 Pages: 216-227
Date Published
September 2005
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This second part of a two-part article on funding structures for postsecondary correctional education (PSCE) programs in U.S. correctional facilities proposes four alternative funding methods.
Abstract
In part 1, the brief history of the growth of PSCE under Pell Grant financing is reviewed. The loss of inmate-student Pell Grant financial aid eligibility was cited as the cause of the marked reduction in PSCE opportunities. One proposed funding alternative is phone-commission rebate programs. States receive rebate commissions from service providers for the collect-call inmate phone system. These phone-commission rebate monies have been shown to be sufficient to sustain PSCE programming when the will exists to use them for such; however, political priorities under budget constraints make such a funding source unstable. Another program, called the College-Level Credit Program, combines semester-based classroom instruction with equivalency examinations as the foundation of a college-level credit experience for qualifying prisoner-students. The equivalency examinations result in reduced classroom time and thus reduced costs. The For-Profit University Tax-Credit Donation Program is another funding scheme. This involves tax credits for individuals who donate up to a maximum amount of financial assistance ($2,000) to an inmate-student's education. The key to such a funding mechanism is the creation of a network that promotes a continuous contribution campaign. A variation of this scheme is the For-Profit University Donation Program, which involves the donation of education services valued at established market rates and delivered to prisoner-students in return for a tax credit. Until a more stable, nationally accessible renewable funding source is established for PSCE in correctional facilities, alternative and patchwork funding methods such as are described in this article will be necessary. 4 figures and 21 references