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this is To the Point. Pell Grants, for prisoners?

Hello again, I'm Armin Alney, and this is a rebroadcast of To the Point from Public Radio

International, a daily look at the issues Americans care about most.

Pell grants are for students who can't afford college.

In the 1990s, Congress banned them for inmates in prisons. This year,

President Obama took a big step toward lifting that ban, which he's allowed to do in the interests

of gathering data. But the data is already in. Education helps former prisoners do better on the outside.

They're less likely to be imprisoned again, and that saves taxpayer money.

Opponents say students who've never committed crimes are more deserving will bring you that

debate. On our talking point, we'll go inside a California prison class to hear what college-level

education is like behind bars. First, here's the news. coverage and accessible via our smartphone app or online at kCRW.com.

Support for To the Point comes from the members of KCRW and from the Public Radio

International Program Fund. Hello again. I'm Armin Alney back with To the Point. America's

crackdown on crime is giving way to

concern about the high cost of mass incarceration. President Obama wants to give Pell Grants for

college to inmates in prison to find out if higher education makes them less likely to commit

new crimes. Researchers say that's already well known and accepted. The debate over Pell Grants had one of our

producers asking this question, what kind of college level classes can some inmates already

...