• Tens of thousands of people will have access to life-changing education as a result of the campaign by Vera and a coalition of allies, which resulted in the restoration of Pell Grants for incarcerated students.
• Vera’s Corrections Education Leadership Academy is supporting 16 corrections leaders from across the United States as they aim to create high-quality statewide education systems for incarcerated people who will be eligible for tuition aid.

We say that access to postsecondary education is transformative not just because it improves opportunity for one person, but because it holds the potential to shatter cycles of poverty and involvement with the criminal justice system. Children of incarcerated students are more likely to pursue their own postsecondary degrees or certificates. Children see the newfound sense of purpose, confidence, and empowerment that postsecondary education programs provide their parents—and that makes a difference.

Margaret diZerega
Director, Center on Sentencing and Corrections