OKLAHOMA CITY (OBV) – A bill which seeks to help Oklahoma prison inmates gain new skills to help them reenter the workforce once released from prison was signed into law by Gov. Kevin Stitt.
Senate Bill 11, written by Sen. Dave Rader, R-Tulsa, and Rep. Daniel Pae, R-Lawton, is a restorative workforce bill requested by the Oklahoma branch of Prison Fellowship, an agency which advocates for federal and state criminal justice reforms that recognize the value and potential of inmates.
The bill authorizes prison inmates to apply tuition aid assistance if they enroll in a degree program, enabling them to learn a new skill or trade that they can use to get a job when reentering society.
“By giving incarcerated Oklahomans the ability to apply for financial assistance to obtain a college degree, Senate Bill 11 will significantly reduce the chances that offenders return to a life of crime,” Rader said. “Many people are not able to afford college without scholarships or other financial aid. Before being released from prison, offenders will now have more resources than ever to chart a course to earn a degree that will help them reenter the workforce and start over.”
Incarcerated individual who are within five years of being released are eligible for a state tuition aid grant, under the new law.
An inmate must also be an Oklahoma resident, demonstrate financial need and show good moral character and citizenship to qualify for aid.
“Research shows us that these individuals are 40 percent less likely to recidivate with this type of education and training, and every one dollar invested in correctional education leads to five dollars in cost savings to taxpayers,” Pae said.
Researchers for Vera, a New York-based agency which works to improve the criminal legal system, estimates that participation in prison-based college education reduces the risk of reconviction for a new offense by about 66 percent.
RAND research shows that inmates who participated in education programs while incarcerated had a 43 percent lower chance of recidivating than incarcerated individuals who did not. The research agency also found that every dollar spent on correctional education saves taxpayers $5 on reincarceration costs.
The new law takes effect July 1.
