This essay describes the economic, social, and civic benefits of college in prison. Turning to history, it describes the unfortunate 1994 decision to eliminate Pell Grant eligibility for people in prison and argues that the time is now right to reverse that policy. Finally, it describes several ways in which scholars of education can contribute to efforts to restore equal rights to financial aid and therefore to education for the 2.2 million men and women living behind bars.
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