U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean visited SCI Phoenix in Skippack earlier this week to talk about educational services in state prison systems and the re-introduction of her Promoting Reentry through Education in Prisons Act, according to a staff report from The Pottstown Mercury.

The visit included a round table with Dean, Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Acting Secretary George Little, Katherine Maloney, Director Villanova Program at SCI Phoenix, and Deputy Secretary for Reentry Kelly Evans, among others.

The PREP Act would make sure that incarcerated individuals have access to educational opportunities that would help them successfully rejoin their communities once they have completed their sentences.

“The stories we heard from the inmates at SCI Phoenix and the dedication of the educators were inspiring and a testament to the never-ending power of education,” said Dean. “These programs change lives – all people deserve that chance to reform, learn, and give back.”

According to a 2013 RAND Corporation study, individuals who participate in prison education programs are also 43 percent less likely to re-offend and 13 percent more likely to find employment after re-entering society.

Read more about Rep. Dean’s visit to SCI Phoenix with Pennsylvania Department of Corrections and education officials to discuss educational services in PA prison systems and the PREP Act in The Pottstown Mercury.