WASHINGTON – Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison and its partners Nyack and Mercy colleges are one of 69 programs selected in the country to participate in the new Second Chance Pell Pilot Program. That new effort will provide federal Pell grants for prisoners in state and federal facilities.
Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison Executive Director Sean Pica
was in Washington Tuesday meeting with other participants and the US departments
of Education and Justice.
“The higher the education level someone reaches while in prison the better their chances of success, not only to them, but for their families and their communities when they are released, Pica said. “The more folks we educate while we have them incarcerated, the better these communities will react, affecting cycles of recidivism, poverty, how the communities have been doing up until now and also recidivism rates across the country.”
Pell grants for prisoners had been available until 1994 when they were eliminated. The Department of Education announced the Second Chance Pell Pilot Program to restore educational access for qualified individuals, improving their chances of leading successful and productive lives post-release.
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