WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Congressman Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), and Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) reintroduced the Promoting Reentry through Education in Prisons (PREP) Act to establish an Office of Prison Education within the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to ensure that incarcerated individuals receive the education needed to successfully reenter their communities after completing their sentences. Congresswoman Dean previously introduced this bicameral legislation in 2023, 2021, and 2019.
Providing incarcerated individuals with the resources to effectively reintegrate into society upon release can dramatically reduce recidivism. Two-thirds of formerly incarcerated individuals are rearrested within three years; however, incarcerated people who participated in educational programs had a 43 percent lower recidivism rate than those who did not receive such opportunities. The PREP Act would standardize educational opportunities and workforce training across federal and state facilities to support incarcerated individuals as they prepare for reentry.
“When someone gets a second change, we must ensure that they have the education, training, and resources to seize it — for themselves, their families, and their communities,” Rep. Dean said. “Education is a powerful tool in helping to reduce recidivism and guide formerly incarcerated individuals as they forge meaningful lives. I’m grateful for Senator Schatz's continued partnership on the PREP Act as we work to ensure success in reentry.”
Specifically, the PREP Act:-
Establishes an Office of Prison Education within the Bureau of Prisons to standardize educational programs across all federal prisons, ensuring that BOP provides educational services for adult literacy, GED, postsecondary, workforce readiness, apprenticeships, career and technical education, and expanded opportunities for individuals with learning disabilities;
-
Establishes the Federal Prison Education Program to create partnerships between federal correctional facilities and education providers to create quality programs that promote successful community reintegration;
-
Trains and assists state and local correctional institutions to provide training and technical assistance to state and local correctional institutions that implement similar education programs; and
-
Notifies veterans of their eligibility to access education benefits and available programs in their federal or state correctional facility.
Read the full text of the bill here.
Rep. Madeleine Dean is a mother, grandmother, attorney, professor, former four-term member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and U.S. Representative for the Fourth District of Pennsylvania.
###
