An effort to incentivize Colorado prisoners to pursue higher education took a major step forward on Tuesday, receiving near-unanimous approval from the state House of Representatives. 

House Bill 1037 would deduct six months from an inmate’s prison sentence for earning a certificate while incarcerated, one year for an associate or bachelor’s degree, 18 months for a master’s degree and two years for a doctorate degree. The program would only apply to non-violent offenders. Prisoners released prior to completing their degree could finish to earn time off of parole. 

The bill will next need approval from the Senate and governor before taking effect. 

“Getting them connected to education lowers recidivism and helps them get their lives back on track,” said bill sponsor Rep. Matthew Martinez, D-Monte Vista, who worked at the Adams State University Prison Education Program before being elected. “They become productive members of society and that’s better for all of Colorado.”

Proponents of the bill said providing prisoners with education gives them hope for their future and makes them more qualified for jobs when they get released, preventing them from reoffending. 

Colorado currently has among the worst recidivism rates in the country, with over 50% of people released from prison ending up back behind bars within three years. 

Prisoners who pursue higher education while incarcerated have been found to be less likely to return to crime after they’re released. Recidivism rates drop to 13.7% for prisoners who earned associates degrees, 5.6% for those who earned bachelor’s degrees and 0% for those who earned master’s degrees, according to a 2006 national analysis by Emory University.

“This is a program that will help decrease recidivism in non-violent offenders, which will make our communities safer,” said bill sponsor Rep. Rose Pugliese, R-Colorado Springs. “There is no additional cost to the people of Colorado. It is good public policy.” 

House lawmakers voted 61-1 in support of the bill, with only Rep. Stephanie Luck, R-Penrose, voting against it. 

Luck raised issue with a portion of the bill that would evenly split the money saved by shortening sentences of qualifying inmates between the Department of Corrections and the Department of Higher Education to continue facilitating higher education programs in prisons. 

Luck said the Department of Corrections wants all of the money to go towards the education programs. In a prior committee hearing on the bill, the Department of Corrections criticized that element of the bill, saying it would be infeasible to calculate the funding saved. 

“I was a ‘no’ vote because that piece hasn’t been finalized yet,” Luck said. “But I support the underlying policy.” 

The bill comes as, beginning in the 2023-24 school year, people in prison will be eligible to receive federal Pell Grants up to nearly $7,000 per year, thanks to recent changes from the U.S. Department of Education.

The bill is backed by groups including the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar, Colorado Catholic Conference, Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition, Education and Community Collective, Tribe Recovery Homes and ACLU of Colorado.