The federal Pell Grant program is to fund tuition for an estimated 30,000 prisoners using $130 million in taxpayer dollars beginning next month.
Prisoners receiving a degree are more likely to have a fresh start than those who do not work towards a degree.
It costs about $20,000 for a prisoner to obtain a bachelor’s degree through the Transforming Outcomes Project at Sacramento State, known as TOPSS.
If a prisoner obtains a degree and never reoffends, is able to have a job and pay taxes, then “that return on investment is better than anything I’ve ever invested in,” said TOPSS interim director David Zuckerman.
One recent prison grad described commencement as “a big accomplishment.”
Gerald Massey from Folsom State Prison was a married nursing assistant with two children prior to his addiction to alcohol and marijuana.
After being rehabilitated from his addictions, he pursued an education.
“I feel, honestly, that God opened the doors and I just walked through them,” Massey said.
Massey’s wife, Jacq’lene, said the education program “kept him focused on his goals,” adding, “Having the resources and the ability to participate in programs like that really helped him, but it actually helps us, too.”
Reporting from KTLA 5:
“For America to be a country of second chances, we must uphold education’s promise of a better life for people who’ve been impacted by the criminal justice system,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a written statement to the AP. Pell Grants will “provide meaningful opportunities for redemption and rehabilitation, reduce recidivism rates, and empower incarcerated people to build brighter futures for themselves, their families, and our communities,” Cardona said.
