The news that Pell grants will once more be available to people in prison sent off a rush of excitement among those who are incarcerated, prison reform advocates, and many lawmakers who realize that by supporting the reestablishment of Pell grants in a prison setting they are promoting a reduction in recidivism.
Not all people in prison will be eligible for a Pell grant. This particular Pell grant is being offered on a limited basis, for now. There is hope that the pilot program will expand to include more people who are incarcerated.
There have been critics of the move to expand the scope of Pell grants to incarcerated people. The main objective seems to be that people convicted of a crime are undeserving of receiving tax payers’ money for higher education.
In a July 31 interview for NPR, Lois Davis, the Rand Corporation’s Senior Policy Researcher, explains how providing people in prison with an education increases public safety by lowering recidivism rates and is quite cost effective. Read More.
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