This update reports the passing of Dr. Lane Murray, founding superintendent of the Windham School District in Texas and two time president of the Correctional Education Association. It also discusses the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). In hopes of informing deliberations aimed at the reauthorization of WIA, the prestigious…

In this update, the author notes the passage of the "Second Chance Act" by Congress--signed into law by the President on April 9, 2008. Programs created in law may or may not be immediately funded and implemented. The criminal justice community will be watching the appropriation process with interest to learn what Second Chance programs will be…

In this article, the author provides updates on the various programs of the United States Department of Education. Among others, the Office of Correctional Education is sponsoring training sessions dealing with the utilization of post release outcome data to evaluate institutionally based educational services. Also, a few weeks after the upcoming…

In this article, the author reports the appointment of Zina Watkins to the Office of Correctional Education. Zina Watkins is a recent graduate of the prestigious Presidential Management Fellows Program--a program designed to bring the best and brightest to federal service. He also relates how pleased he was for receiving an invitation to…

In this update, Linton provides a report on what transpired during the invitational technical assistance training meeting for State adult correctional education programs titled "Making Data Work for You," which was hosted by the Department of Education a year ago. As a key part of that training, States shared their efforts to utilize data to…

In this column, Linton discusses First Lady Laura Bush's remarks on the special issues faced by boys in contemporary America. Among other things, Linton talks about the Neglected and Delinquent Technical Assistance Center's Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports approach addressing behavioral issues that block school performance and…

The Department of Education hosted a rare "technical training" for State correctional education directors and data managers this spring titled "Making Data Work for You." Forty-eight States participated. This was a welcome opportunity for face-to-face contact with correctional education administrators from across the U.S. More than ten States…

This article presents some of the latest news about the United States Department of Education. Secretary Margaret Spellings assigned an expanded role for correctional education to The Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) effective October 1, 2006. The correctional education direct grant programs currently in the Department's Office of…

This update reports on the activities of the Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE), which includes the implementation of the new Perkins Vocational Education Act passed by the 109th Congress and signed by President Bush on August 12, 2006. There is also significant activity in preparation for the scheduled reauthorization of the Adult…

In this update, Linton describes the Life Skills for State and Local Prisoners Program and discusses why this reentry program has been successful. This program competitively funds three-year demonstration projects that provide life skills instruction in either state correctional facilities or jails. Both state and local correctional systems are…

In this update, Linton discusses the role of educational programs within correctional institutions. These programs normally receive varying degrees of support from state to state, but two exceptions are the federally administered Life Skills for State and Local Prisoners Program and the Grants to States for Workplace and Community Transition…

In this column, Linton provides updates on the various programs of the U.S. Department of Education. Among other things, he discusses the matter of restoring federal financial aide eligibility to certain offender populations, currently under study in Congress, and that Congress also is continuing a rare substantive discussion of issues related to…

In this column, Linton presents updates on congressional action in the House of Representatives on "The Second Chance Act," the anticipated Institute for Higher Education Policy report, and the reauthorization of the "Higher Education Act." He also highlights a resource being provided through the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education.…

Prisoner reentry continues to be identified as an important issue in the public affairs arena, and a proposed initiative would offer new funding to support transitional services for returning inmates. Education generally does not top the list of identified reentry issues, but education can be appropriately identified as a potent solution. It is…

This update discusses the "Reentry National Media Outreach Campaign," a project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation that exists to bring the issues of prisoner reentry to greater public awareness. The U.S. Department of Education has been charged with administering the "Life Skills for State and Local Prisoners Program," a discretionary grant program…