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It's been one year since Pell Grants became available to incarcerated people

This week marks the one-year anniversary of federal higher education funding that is available to people who are incarcerated in Virginia.

Virginia prisons launch more people into the workforce every year than any single state college or university. That’s according to the Virginia Consensus for Higher Education in Prison, which is celebrating the one-year anniversary of the availability of federal Pell Grants behind bars.

Darryl Byers-Robinson is a formerly incarcerated individual who took college classes behind bars that changed his life.

"I am standing here on behalf of all the people in prison as an example of what the application of education can be," Byers-Robinson says. "I'm gainfully employed. I have a nice suit on. I'm speaking to a room full of important people."

A room full of important people who are celebrating the first year of higher ed in mass incarceration.

"The more education that we can provide, the better the outcomes are. And our job is to provide long-term, public safety in Virginia," says Chadwick Dotson, director of the Virginia Department of Corrections. "There's no question but that programs such as these enhance public safety in the Commonwealth of Virginia, but also lead to good outcomes for individuals who are in our care."

Right now, college classes are offered at 10 Virginia prisons. Virginia Consensus for Higher Education in Prison says that's a good start, but they say they would like college classes available in all 45 prisons across Virginia.

This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.

Michael Pope is an author and journalist who lives in Old Town Alexandria.