IONIA, Mich. — Calvin University held a news conference detailing its program to offer college education to inmates.
University President Wiebe Boer was joined by state and U.S. leaders Tuesday afternoon outside Richard A. Handlon Correctional Facility in Ionia.
U.S. Department of Education Secretary James Kvaal began the event by saying President Biden’s administration is working to put together legislation that will make incarcerated students eligible for Pell grants, which is expected to take effect at around this time next year.
Kvaal says the program will permit educational institutions to establish campuses within prisons.
“We know the value of these programs in helping people find jobs, reducing the odds that they're going to return to prison,” says Kvaal. “But it also gives people a chance to pursue the higher value of education; that is something that's important to everyone.”
Calvin Theological Seminary President Julius Medenblik says similar programs around the country show promise in transforming the lives of inmates with resounding testimonials from students and alumni as well as bipartisan support from Michigan lawmakers.
“We hope that this will be an opportunity to not only expand this in Michigan but expand this kind of program across the United States for the benefit of those within,” adds President Boer. “We look forward to further partnerships with the government to make this happen.”
This May, 76 inmates graduated under the pilot program.
READ MORE: Handlon inmates graduate Calvin University with degrees, new outlooks on life
Kvaal says he met with some of the students and alumni that enrolled in the pilot program who look forward to becoming contributing members of society. He adds the program has produced high rates in job placement, with many students receiving job offers before leaving prison.
“This is a way to not just transform the lives of people who are incarcerated but their families, their children, their future generations, their communities,” says Assistant Secretary Amy Loyd with the U.S. Department of Education. “We really are talking about a ripple effect that extends far beyond the walls of this correctional facility.”
Ninety students are presently enrolled in the program.
