“Expanding access to quality higher education can be transformative for individuals impacted by the criminal justice system. I am pleased that the Restoring Education and Learning (REAL) Act has been reintroduced this Congress. This bipartisan measure will help returning citizens succeed when they come home and make our communities stronger and safer.

“I know firsthand that education can save lives because it saved mine. Students who are justice-impacted or incarcerated should have the opportunity through higher education to change their lives and the lives of their families and loved ones. They should be able to contribute to our country and envision a new future. Relatedly, unjust school discipline practices that feed into a very real school-to-prison pipeline can lock up students’ futures as early as four-years-old. For some justice-impacted students, it may be a second chance. But, the reality is, so many never had a first.

“At The Education Trust, we believe that access to higher education is the surest path to social mobility and opportunity, and we also know that providing more options and supports for our most underserved students to make it to and through college helps secure our nation’s prosperity. Congress should continue to work to pass this critical bill and advance educational justice.”

###