Obama administration to allow prisoners access to college grants

[Little Tich]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S prisoners will soon be eligible for federal grants to take college courses online, a Justice Department official said on Tuesday.

The Justice Department and the Department of Education will announce on Friday a limited pilot program for incarcerated Americans to apply for federal Pell grants.

The program builds on efforts from the White House to provide pathways out of prison by reducing sentences and giving second chances to those who have served time.

Obama recently commuted the sentences of 46 prisoners and became the first sitting president to visit a federal prison when he traveled to El Reno, Oklahoma.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-administration-allow-prisoners-access-college-grants-221609212.html

[Sienna86]

1. The only downside is money going to for-profit schools

Will a degree be worth anything?

[davidpdx]

3. If they do it the way I've seen it done in the past it will be with community colleges

If there is anything in there about using a private college I say fuck it.

[davidpdx]

2. I know for a fact that prisoners use to be able to do this

When and why it was cut, I'm not sure. Usually the community colleges have programs at the prisons to allow inmates to take classes. That doesn't seem to be as common these days.

I know Oregon has passed a multitude of ballot measures in the 90's and 00's that has pretty much sunk most forms of rehabilitation. It surprises me how regressive the policies on rehabilitation of my state became in such a short amount of time.

[Freddie Stubbs]

4. It was cut by a law for which Bernie Sanders voted in 1994

The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act specifically prohibited the awarding of Pell Grants to "any individual who is incarcerated in any Federal or State penal institution."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violent_Crime_Control_and_Law_Enforcement_Act#Elimination_of_inmate_education

Mr. Sanders voted for this bill:

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/1994/roll416.xml

[Cha]

5. "It was cut by a law for which Bernie Sanders voted in 1994"

The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act specifically prohibited the awarding of Pell Grants to "any individual who is incarcerated in any Federal or State penal institution."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violent_Crime_Control_and_Law_Enforcement_Act#Elimination_of_inmate_education

Mr. Sanders voted for this bill:

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/1994/roll416.xml

Thanks Freddie

[davidpdx]

9. I disagree with Sanders vote

But I also disagree with Bill Clinton for signing the law. He bares some responsiblity as well.

[1StrongBlackMan]

6. I hope this pilot program extends to cover ...

the 100,000s of people, specially excluded from PELL because of non-violent drug offense convictions.

[NotHardly]

7. Been there, done that

This so called Pilot program, college courses for prisoners using Pell grants, was operational in a majority of states for state prisoners in the 1980s until republicans killed it in the late 1990s. The courses were given by Jr colleges, colleges and universities in the facilities and provided a wide range of courses... not online but in class rooms inside the prisons and therefore employed local instructors from accredited real academic institutions. I know, I was an Educational Director for a state that operationalized this until the "get tough" people screwed it up. The results were that inmates received skills enhancements and advancements (English, sociology, math, sciences, etc.) that provided them with abilities to improve their lives after being released. It was very successful but none of that mattered to the "get tough" crowd as facts were never able to persuade them ... then or now.

[Comrade Grumpy]

8. This is restoring a program that used to exist. Good on Obama.

[TheKentuckian]

10. Good job, Mr President

[qwlauren35]

11. Hopefully

this will also extend to felons after completing their jail sentence, who have been blocked as well.

The draconian policies have seriously thwarted ex-cons' efforts to move forward after getting out of jail. Apartment complexes won't rent to them, colleges won't take them, no access to funding, problems getting jobs. Everything encourages them to turn back to crime.

Then "Three Strikes"...

It's a system designed to fill jails and prisons.