Vera Institute of Justice

Document Author: Vera Institute of Justice

A Monumental Shift: Restoring Access to Pell Grants for Incarcerated Students

In December 2020, Congress lifted a 26-year ban on Pell Grants for incarcerated students. The ban, enacted amid a slew of “tough-on-crime” policies in the 1990s, stripped people in prison of access to this federal financial aid. Incarcerated people earn pennies per hour for the work they do in prison, making it next to impossible for them to afford postsecondary education without financial support. Under the ban, the number of prison education programs shrank drastically, from 772 programs in the early 1990s to only eight in 1997. The FAFSA Simplification Act, which restores access to Pell Grants for people in prison, will make it possible once again for thousands to pursue postsecondary education.

Step-down Programs and Transitional Units: A Strategy to End Long-term Restrictive Housing

This brief will examine the concept of step-down or transitional programs, including their goals, different ways in which they can operate, key components of effective programs, and common pitfalls that should be avoided to promote their success.

Step-down Programs and Transitional Units: A Strategy to End Long-term Restrictive Housing

This brief will examine the concept of step-down or transitional programs, including their goals, different ways in which they can operate, key components of effective programs, and common pitfalls that should be avoided to promote their success.

Prevention and care can reduce suicides in jail