The FAFSA Simplification Act, which was passed in December 2020 and came into effect in July 2023, reinstates Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated students, allowing them to participate in prison education programs (PEPs). While this a long-overdue change, I argue PEPs have configured their educational aims to be attractive to policymakers to secure political funding, and in the process, have overlooked the educational quality of their programs.