Evaluation

Not later than 1 year after December 27, 2020 , in order to evaluate and improve the impact of activities supported under this subsection, the Secretary, in partnership with the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences, shall award 1 or more grants or contracts to, or enter into cooperative agreements with, experienced public and private institutions and organizations to enable the institutions and organizations to conduct an external evaluation that shall—

(i) assess the ability of confined or incarcerated individuals to access and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid;

(ii) examine in-custody outcomes and post-release outcomes related to providing Federal Pell Grants to confined or incarcerated individuals, including— (I) attainment of a postsecondary degree or credential; (II) safety in penal institutions with prison education programs; (III) the size of waiting lists for prison education programs; (IV) the extent to which such individuals continue their education post-release; (V) employment and earnings outcomes for such individuals; and (VI) rates of recidivism for such individuals;

(iii) track individuals who received Federal Pell Grants under subpart 1 of part A at 1, 3, and 5 years after the individuals’ release from confinement or incarceration; and

(iv) examine the extent to which institutions provide re-entry or relevant career services to participating confined or incarcerated individuals as part of the prison education program and the efficacy of such services, if offered.

Beginning not later than 1 year after the Secretary awards the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement described in subparagraph (A) and annually thereafter, each institution of higher education operating a prison education program under this subsection shall submit a report to the Secretary on activities assisted and students served under this subsection, which shall include the information, as applicable, contained in clauses (i) through (iv) of subparagraph (A).