Restoring Pell Grant Eligibility for the Incarcerated

Statement

By Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-IL), Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), Rep. French Hill (R-AR), and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA)

As liberals and conservatives, we united to lead the Restoring Education and Learning (REAL) Act, which will expand educational opportunities for incarcerated individuals. Companion legislation is led in the Senate by Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Mike Lee (R-UT). This landmark legislation has the support of over ninety progressive and conservative organizations. It will strengthen successful reentry and economic growth by restoring Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated individuals, which research shows has tremendous effectiveness and saves taxpayer dollars.

A recent report from the Vera Institute of Justice and the Georgetown University Center on Poverty and Inequality, "Investing in Futures: Economic and Fiscal Benefits of Postsecondary Education in Prison," found that:

Between 2012 and 2014, 64 percent of people ages 18-74 who were incarcerated in federal and state prison had, at most, a high-school degree or equivalent;
A majority of incarcerated people are academically eligible to advance to post-secondary level courses;
According to estimates, expanding access to education in prison would result in a $45.3 million increase in combined earnings for formerly-incarcerated workers during the first year after release; and
More access to education is proven to result in decreased recidivism rates, saving states a combined $365.8 million per year on incarceration costs.

Restoring Pell Grants to the incarcerated is a bipartisan effort because it strengthens communities, improves reentry, promotes economic wellbeing, increases labor-force participation, and meets workforce demands. Permanent restoration of Pell Grant eligibility for the incarcerated is a federal investment that makes communities safer and our country stronger while reducing taxpayer costs.

The vast majority of prisoners will eventually be released. Our society is better and safer if we equip inmates with the resources necessary to become productive citizens and not re-enter the criminal justice system. This bipartisan effort will reduce crime, grow jobs and save taxpayers' money. We are proud to be a part of it.

To ensure that formerly incarcerated individuals have the tools they need to be productive members of society, we must see education as an investment that can create a path to a better life for them. Our society is better and safer if we equip inmates with the resources necessary to become productive citizens and not re-enter the criminal justice system.

Federal Pell Grants were created to ensure that all Americans have the ability to better themselves through educational opportunities. Giving incarcerated individuals the chance to choose an educational path will benefit communities across the country: from Chicago, Illinois, to central Arkansas and from northeastern Indiana to Oakland, California. We see education as a tool to break the cycle of crime in low-income communities.

We serve in the People's House. Enacting laws is a complex process that requires legislators from diverse political perspectives to agree on what is important for our country. Despite our differences in other policy areas, we strongly believe that restoring Pell Grant eligibility for the incarcerated strengthens our nation by improving education, reducing crime, increasing economic wellbeing, and saving taxpayer dollars. These are the reasons we champion the REAL Act.