The Congress finds and declares that—

(1) education is important to, and makes a significant contribution to, the readjustment of incarcerated individuals to society; and

(2) there is a growing need for immediate action by the Federal Government to assist State and local educational programs for criminal offenders in correctional institutions.

It is the purpose of this subchapter to encourage and support educational programs for criminal offenders in correctional institutions.

The Secretary of Education shall establish within the Department of Education an Office of Correctional Education.

The Secretary, through the Office of Correctional Education established under subsection (c) of this section, shall—

(1) coordinate all correctional education programs within the Department of Education;

(2) provide technical support to State and local educational agencies and schools funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs on correctional education programs and curricula;

(3) provide an annual report to the Congress on the progress of the Office of Correctional Education and the status of correctional education in the United States;

(4) cooperate with other Federal agencies carrying out correctional education programs to ensure coordination of such programs;

(5) consult with, and provide outreach to, State directors of correctional education and correctional educators; and

(6) collect from States a sample of information on the number of individuals who complete a vocational education sequence, earn a high school degree or general equivalency diploma, or earn a postsecondary degree while incarcerated and the correlation with job placement, job retention, and recidivism.

As used in this section—

(1) the term “criminal offender” means any individual who is charged with or convicted of any criminal offense, including a youth offender or a juvenile offender;

the term “correctional institution” means any—

(A) prison,

(B) jail,

(C) reformatory,

(D) work farm,

(E) detention center, or

(F) halfway house, community-based rehabilitation center, or any other similar institution designed for the confinement or rehabilitation of criminal offenders; and

(3) the term “State educational agency” means the State board of education or other agency or officer primarily responsible for the State supervision of public elementary and secondary schools, or, if there is no such officer or agency, an officer or agency designated by the Governor or by State law.

(Pub. L. 96–88, title II, § 212, formerly § 214, as added Pub. L. 101–392, title VI, § 602(a)(3), Sept. 25, 1990, 104 Stat. 840; amended Pub. L. 103–322, title II, § 20408(a), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 1827; renumbered § 212, Pub. L. 103–382, title II, § 271(a)(2), Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3929.)