Committee hears bill to expand digital education access for incarcerated students

House Bill 1166, which would require the Department of Corrections (DOC) to permit incarcerated people to purchase and retain laptops and expand distance education options, was the subject of a lengthy staff briefing and public hearing on Jan. 29 before the Postsecondary Education & Workforce Committee.

Staff counsel Saranda Ross told the committee, “Before you is House Bill 1166, creating the providing effective education for reentry success act within the department of corrections.” The bill would allow inmates to buy and keep laptops as personal property, require DOC to provide Wi‑Fi access to those with laptops when funding allows, and require DOC to make requested educational websites available within two weeks of a request.

The bill’s prime sponsor, Representative Clyde Shavers, 10th Legislative District, framed the proposal as a rehabilitation measure. “This bill makes critical advancements by ensuring that those who are incarcerated have access to digital literacy, online learning, and personal educational devices,” Shavers said, and he told the committee an amendment is forthcoming that would narrow the proposal into a pilot and address fiscal concerns.

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