NCJ Number
241747
Date Published
2013
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This policy brief advances the need for restoring Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated persons.
Abstract
This policy brief from the Education from the Inside Out Coalition advances the need for restoring Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated persons. Prior to 1994, incarcerated individuals were eligible to receive college financial aid through Pell Grants for postsecondary education programs. In 1994, Congress established a ban on eligibility for Pell Grants for incarcerated persons. This elimination resulted in a significant drop in the number of prison higher education programs offered at correctional facilities around the country. This loss of education programs for inmates increases the difficulties faced by offenders in trying to overcome employment and reintegration obstacles after their release from prison. This brief highlights some of the findings from research examining the effect of education on employment and recidivism rates for incarcerated persons. Based on these research findings, the brief argues that Pell Grant eligibility should be restored for incarcerated persons, increasing the likelihood for their successful reintegration back into the community.