DOVER, Del. (AP) - Delaware inmates will soon get the chance to take college classes through a program that allows prisoners access to Pell Grants.
Delaware Technical Community College in Dover was recently approved to participate in the Second Chance Pell Experiment program and will begin offering the grants to jailed students in two correctional facilities, the Delaware Department of Corrections said Thursday in a news release.
“This program will provide greater educational opportunities that create pathways to gainful employment and reduce recidivism,” said Dr. Mark Brainard, the school’s president. “It’s clearly aligned with our mission to change our students’ lives through an inclusive environment that fosters equity and student success.”
Second Chance Pell Experiment launched under the Obama administration as an experiment to see whether education could reduce recidivism. The grants can help cover the costs of tuition, fees and course materials.
The school is now working with state officials to offer a human services degree program in jails. They plan to launch the pilot program in the spring with classes at a women’s correctional institution in New Castle, and then expand those classes to inmates at a jail in Wilmington.
The classes will primarily be delivered virtually.
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