§ 3423a. — Office of Correctional Education.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 20USC3423a]
TITLE 20--EDUCATION
CHAPTER 48--DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
SUBCHAPTER II--ESTABLISHMENT OF THE DEPARTMENT
Sec. 3423a. Office of Correctional Education
(a) Findings
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.
(b) Statement of purpose
It is the purpose of this subchapter to encourage and support
educational programs for criminal offenders in correctional
institutions.
(c) Establishment of Office
The Secretary of Education shall establish within the Department of
Education an Office of Correctional Education.
(d) Functions of Office
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.
(e) Definitions
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;
(2) 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, Sec. 212, formerly Sec. 214, as added Pub. L.
101-392, title VI, Sec. 602(a)(3), Sept. 25, 1990, 104 Stat. 840;
amended Pub. L. 103-322, title II, Sec. 20408(a), Sept. 13, 1994, 108
Stat. 1827; renumbered Sec. 212, Pub. L. 103-382, title II,
Sec. 271(a)(2), Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3929.)
Prior Provisions
A prior section 212 of Pub. L. 96-88 was renumbered section 211 and
is classified to section 3422 of this title.
Amendments
1994--Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 103-322 substituted ``under subsection
(c)'' for ``under subsection (a)'' in introductory provisions.
Effective Date
Section 702 of Pub. L. 101-392 provided that:
``(a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (b), the
amendments made by this Act [enacting subchapter II of chapter 44 of
this title, this section, sections 2311a, 2327, 2328, 2394 to 2394e,
2395 to 2395e, 2396 to 2396m, 2411 to 2420a, 2424, 2466b to 2466e, 2468,
2468b to 2468e, and 3423a of this title, and subchapter III of chapter
20 of Title 25, Indians, amending sections 2301, 2311 to 2313, 2321 to
2324, 2352, 2361 to 2363, 2382, 2391, 2392, 2401 to 2404, 2421 to 2423,
2451, 2463, and 2471 of this title, section 1812 of Title 25, and
sections 49f, 1533, 1604, and 1661c of Title 29, Labor, repealing
sections 1131, 2371 to 2373, 2376 to 2378, 2431, 2462, 2464, 2465, and
3423 of this title, and amending provisions set out as a note under
section 2301 of this title] shall take effect on July 1, 1991.
``(b) Special Rule.--Sections 3, 115, 116, 504, and 512 and part H
of title III of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology
Education Act [former sections 2302, 2325, 2326, 2466a, and 2468a of
this title and former part H (Sec. 2397 et seq.) of subchapter III of
chapter 44 of this title] (as amended by this Act) shall take effect
upon the enactment of this Act [Sept. 25, 1990].''
