People in American prisons may be able to earn a college degree if proponents of this plan get their way.

Joe Palazzolo reports at the Wall Street Journal.

Philanthropists, Lawmakers Behind New Push for College Education in Prison

Philanthropy groups and lawmakers are giving college education for prisoners a fresh look, as criminal-justice policies around the country place greater emphasis on preparing inmates for life beyond bars.

Public funds for college education largely dried up in the 1990s, when Congress rendered prisoners ineligible for federal grants. But in recent years, Doris Buffett’s Sunshine Lady Foundation and the Ford Foundation have contributed millions of dollars to programs that give prisoners the chance to earn college credit. And this year, for the first time, the Kresge Foundation in Troy, Mich., and the Andrew Mellon Foundation awarded grants for such programs, educators said.

Ms. Buffett, whose foundation has supported prisoner education since the early 2000s, described a “surge” in support for prisoner education, adding: “It’s a worthwhile use of money, and it’s going to do what we want it to.”

Between the mid-1990s and 2013, the U.S. prison population doubled to about 1.6 million inmates, many of them repeat offenders, according to Justice Department figures. A 2013 study by the Rand Corp. found that inmates who participated in education programs, including college courses, had significantly lower odds of returning to prison than inmates who didn’t.


 
 0 
 
 0