This report from the Vera Institute of Justice provides a snapshot of the Second Chance Pell Experimental Sites Initiative (SCP) a year after Pell Grants were restored for incarcerated students. Drawing on data collected from surveys to SCP colleges and corrections agencies, the report aggregates individual responses to evaluate the adequacy and the system of education offered to incarcerated people.
Colleagues -
Greetings and happy Monday (or whatever day it is that you read this). Many of you know that the Bloomsbury Prison Education Handbook is coming out October 3, 2024, so we're less than 4 months out. Given what seems to be a very positive internal response to the text, there have been conversations about a potential second book. As a result, I'll be putting together a proposal for said second text, with the hope that it covers the topics we didn't address in the handbook and…
Hi! My name is Basia, and I am the workforce development director for P2P (From Prison Cells to PhD) and senior faculty specialist at the University of Maryland working on an AgTech project that brings leading researchers together with farmers to help improve decision-making processes through the use of satellite data from space.
I am a proud mother of two beautiful young ladies and three sweet pups in St. Louis, Missouri. I am first generation American and speak Polish fluently. I love to travel, read, cook, and explore when time allows. I am excited to be a part of this…
Investments in education programs for students who are incarcerated have increased, but gender inequities in access persist. Seven women share first-person accounts of the challenges of studying while incarcerated.
This article from Jobs for the Future was written by Shaun Libby, who was formerly incarcerated and was enrolled in the Maine State Prison college program. The author states that "investing in prison education and work opportunities inspires hope, prepares residents for reentry, and reduces recidivism while also fostering positive improvements in prison culture."
This resource follows Alexa Garza’s journey through the walls of prison education and the maze of reintegration struggles, as she shares insights on breaking barriers and advocating for second chances.
This press release details the U.S. Department of Education's announcement of a new path for borrowers who are incarcerated to exit default through consolidation, providing them access to improved credit and to better repayment options than ever before. Borrowers who had student loans before becoming incarcerated can now consolidate their loans to get out of default, providing them with certain types of loans—including Perkins Loans and commercially held Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFEL) loans—to gain access to income-driven repayment (IDR) plans like the Saving on a Valuable…
This news article from the Washington Post explores how thousands of minors like Yusef Qualls-El, who is highlighted in the article, received sentences of life without parole and entered prison at an age when their peers were going to college or starting their careers. But inside, education is often reserved for those who will soon return to society. As a result, those who were seen as the least likely to get out had the fewest opportunities. The article showcases Yusef Qualls-El's story and his next steps.
This article reports that many people in Illinois prisons believe they are not getting the full sentence reductions allowed under a new law that gives credit for participating in education, work, and other programs. As many as 1,000 people who are still in custody could be eligible for immediate release if they received proper sentence recalculations.
The importance of providing incarcerated individuals with meaningful education, skill-building, and paid opportunities with livable wages has gained recognition in recent years. Such paid programs not only benefit the individuals involved, but also have far-reaching positive impacts on society. Looking to examples set by states like Maine and Colorado, California has a valuable opportunity to embrace and expand upon paid initiatives for the benefit of incarcerated individuals and the state.
