After 10+ years of advocating for the reinstatement of Pell, the United States Congress passed the reinstatement of Pell Grants for incarcerated people on December 21, 2020, in a historic vote. This came after formerly and currently incarcerated advocates and family members, college-in-prison stakeholders, and social justice organizations led a coordinated campaign to restore Pell.
Now, CCF is focused on the expansion of bridge programs that offer students support to complete degrees in the community if they are released from prison before degree completion or choose to pursue an advanced degree.
Reentry support begins when an individual is first incarcerated, and CCF is working with partners to ensure that bridge programs, like CCF, meet the needs of our students and community.
In 2021, College & Community Fellowship and Formerly Incarcerated College Graduates Network submitted a memo to the Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education on Supporting Continuity of Education from Carceral Setting to Reentry in Regulations on Pell Grants for Prison Education Programs.
It is our goal to influence policy in all 50 states that set the tone for higher education in prison reflects the reality that many people will not graduate inside prison, requiring prison-education-programs to provide reentry planning so that students can complete degrees in reentry.