President Obama has announced the next step in his plan for criminal justice reform: giving inmates access to federal Pell grants. Pell grants are federal money provided for low-income students to pay their college tuition and do not need to be repaid. Congress banned prisoners from having access to Pell grants in 1994 and the Obama administration cannot lift the ban without approval from Congress, so the Education Department is running a temporary program to test out the effectiveness of correctional education programs for prisoners. The administration believes such a program will provide prisoners with the skills needed to reenter the community and help them “avoid future contact with the justice system and become productive members of society.”
Is closing down youth prisons the next big idea for justice reform?
President and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation Patrick McCarthy has asked states to consider closing down their youth prisons. In his TEDx talk, he spoke of the detrimental effects these prisons have on young people. McCarthy said states can produce better outcomes for young people who get into trouble with the law, and they should commit to three things: First, decrease the number of youth going into juvenile systems by half; second, improve existing systems by expanding community-based and family-centered programs proven to help kids who have the most serious problems; and third, eliminate all publicly operated and contracted youth prisons and instead use small, treatment-intensive secure care programs. He believes that youth prisons are inherently flawed and speaks against a model heavy on isolation, restraints, and excessive force by staff. McCarthy implores states to close down these prisons and offers the support of his foundation in any such endeavors. Do you think McCarthy has the right idea?
For more info: http://www.aecf.org/blog/annie-e-casey-foundation-ceo-calls-for-states-to-close-youth-prisons/