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GA SR770
Resolution
Status
Introduced
3/11/2024
Primary Sponsor
Sally Harrell
Click for details
AI Summary
- Creates the Senate Higher Education in Prison Study Committee to investigate the social and economic impacts of expanding postsecondary education opportunities in Georgia's state prisons, which house more than 47,000 individuals at a cost of $1.32 billion in 2024
- Committee comprises 6 Senate members appointed by the President of the Senate, plus 4 additional members: designees from the Department of Corrections, Department of Community Supervision, Board of Regents, and Technical College System of Georgia
- Charged with examining current postsecondary and transition offerings in Georgia prisons, studying successful models nationwide, and addressing five identified obstacle categories for formerly incarcerated students: scholarship eligibility, housing, behavioral health services, medical care, and employment access
- Motivated by findings that prison education reduces recidivism by 43 percent, compared to Georgia's current recidivism rate of at least 30 percent, and by the 2023 restoration of federal Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated individuals, which increased federal spending by $617 million
- Committee must file any findings or legislative recommendations with the Secretary of the Senate before its abolishment date of December 1, 2024
Legislative Description
Senate Higher Education in Prison Study Committee; create
Last Action
Senate Read Second Time
3/21/2024
Committee Referrals
Higher Education3/13/2024
Full Bill Text
No bill text available