HR0690 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0690 LRB099 13686 GRL 37640 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Governor and the members of the General Assembly seek to reduce the number of prisoners incarcerated in penal facilities of the Illinois Department of Corrections; and

WHEREAS, A significant reduction in the prison population cannot be achieved without a significant reduction in the recidivism rate; and

WHEREAS, The General Assembly has begun to revisit and review some of the outdated policies that trap people with criminal convictions at the margins of society and drive many of them back to jail by denying them jobs, housing, and education; and

WHEREAS, The United States Department of Education recently announced a Second Chance Pell Pilot Program to test new models to allow incarcerated Americans to receive Pell Grants and pursue post-secondary education with the goal of helping them turn their lives around and ultimately get jobs, support their families, and stay out of trouble; and

WHEREAS, Through this pilot program, incarcerated individuals who otherwise meet Title IV eligibility requirements and are eligible for release, particularly within the next 5 years, could access Pell Grants to pursue post-secondary education and training; and

WHEREAS, The Pell Grants acquired through this pilot program can only be used to pay for tuition, fees, books, and supplies required by an individual's education program; and

WHEREAS, A 2013 Department of Justice-funded study from the RAND Corporation found that incarcerated individuals who participated in correctional education were 43% less likely to return to prison within 3 years than prisoners who didn't participate in correctional education programs; the researchers involved in the RAND study estimated that, for every dollar invested in correctional education programs, four to five dollars are saved on 3-year re-incarceration costs; and

WHEREAS, The deadline for post-secondary institutions to apply for this pilot program for the 2016-2017 academic year is September 31, 2015; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Illinois Department of Corrections to collaborate with one or more institutions of higher learning in the submission of an application for the Second Chance Pell Pilot Program; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be delivered to the Director of the Illinois Department of Corrections.