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Education in Walnut Street Jail
The nation's first penitentary, the Walnut Street Jail in Philadelphia, includes educational programs for prisoners -
Prison education loses support
During 1820's : Advocacy for prison education falls out of favor as the nation's correctional philosophy shifts from rehabilitation and education towards hard-lined crime control. State legislative members argue that prisons have become too lenient. -
Correctional education gains ground
Towards the end of the 1800s, correctional education programs once again garner public and political support due to the growing popularity of the Reformatory model, which placed great importance on rehabilitation and education. -
Prisoners eligible for Pell Grants
Lyndon Johnson signs the Higher Education Act, allowing prisoners to receive funding for college through Pell Grants. -
Prison college programs prevalent
By 1982, 350 (90%) of the nation's prisons offered higher education programs . Inmates receive less than 1% of total Pell Grant funding. -
Pell Grants for prisoners revoked
Bil Clinton signs into law the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, a provision of which makes prisoners ineligible to receive Pell Grants. -
Dwindling prison education
By 2001, fewer than a dozen prison college programs exist in the country. -
Bush signs Second Chance Act
Bush signs into law the Second Chance Act of 2007, which funds various re-entry programs for the formerly incarcerated. Some experts believe this move denotes a trend towards rehabilitative rather than punitive measures in U.S. correctional philosophy. An earlier draft of the bill, by then-Senator Joseph Biden, calls for reinstatement of eligibility for Pell Grants in prison populations.
