Approach
When we began working with Vera in 2017, our mission was clear: Expand access to postsecondary education in prison by addressing both state and federal policy barriers. We developed a five-year plan focused on raising awareness of the benefits of education in prison and advocating for Pell Grant access. This involved promoting research, driving state-level policy changes, and creating momentum for federal action.
As the campaign progressed, growing public awareness of systemic inequalities created a unique opportunity to build broader bipartisan support and expand our focus to the U.S. Congress, where we aimed to lift the federal ban on Pell Grants for incarcerated students.
Our campaign ultimately spurred policy shifts in states including New Jersey, Michigan, Tennessee and North Carolina, generated nearly 150 national and regional media stories, and garnered bipartisan support for lifting the ban. In December 2020, Congress voted to lift the ban on Pell Grants for incarcerated people, marking a historic policy victory.
Thanks to an integrated campaign vision, strategy and execution, this historic bipartisan victory in Congress expanded access to education for hundreds of thousands of people in prison. And by shifting the narrative around people in prison, it laid the groundwork for future fights to expand justice for families and communities across the nation.
