Can’t we skip the “time in jail” aspect of helping the next generation and go to the very beginning and get them off to a good start? Anyone who needs a loan for that should pay no interest at all, and the tuition should be within reach of most. Why not put the money into pre-K and programs that keep people out of poverty and prison in the first place. I have been reading with dismay all of the angry responses to Gov. The writer is executive director of the business advocacy group Unshackle Upstate. In speaking to the older inmates about the younger ones, we discussed the fact that doing the usual entry-level jobs was not at all cool. Cleaning up Albany will require sensible measures such as effective enforcement of election laws and greater transparency. Does Gov. It hasn’t ended corruption in New York City. Formerly incarcerated individuals with low levels of education often find themselves without the financial resources or social support systems upon their release from prison and therefore are more vulnerable to committing criminal acts rather than becoming reintegrated into society. “Prison education is a means of rehabilitating and re-directing. Some of them have matured enough to be able to succeed. I want to ask him why he thinks that people who have had free schooling already, wherever they are in their lives, would do better with free college-level classes? ... three Republican congressmen introduced a bill entitled the Kids Before Cons Act, which aimed to remove Pell grants and federal financial aid for prison education, but the bill was never brought to a vote . For every dollar spent on prison education, taxpayers are The federal government, states, and localities all play a crucial role in funding educational programs for incarcerated individuals. Some educators, notably John Dewey (1916) also argue that certain levels of education are a . Education can be a gateway to social and economic mobility. This vital opportunity, however, is currently being denied to a significant portion of … If you release someone with the same skills with which she came in, she’s going to get involved in the same activities as she did before.” Investing in prison education rather than increased incarceration will also benefit the American economy. Why should we offer anything but suffering to bad people who deserve to rot in prison? In fact, giving candidates public money has created new opportunities for corruption. Most people who are against this have paid for or are in debt because of the high cost of college education in this country. Why does Gov. Right now our prisons are full of those kids who grew up. Another pro would be that normally most individuals with higher educations feel better about themselves (self esteem) and there by less likely to re offend. Education can be a gateway to social and economic mobility. Text Message for a Quote: 1-570-301-7456. He has nothing. According to a Quinnipiac poll conducted last April, 58 percent of upstate New Yorkers are opposed to this proposal. For any individual, not having a high school diploma While investing in prison education programs will require upfront funding, the long-term economic benefits for states and localities are considerable. policy institute that is dedicated to improving the lives of all accompanying prisoners into the labor market resulting from a spell of incarceration (Western, 2007). I have been reading with dismay all of the angry responses to Gov. Enter the password that accompanies your email address. While much of the world pays much less or even nothing for a college degree, we have a system that is profiting from student loans, very highly paid upper management in universities, students funding sports programs that lose money and few participate in. When I worked in the Rensselaer County Jail as a transitional guide, moving people from incarceration to the job market, I spent most of my time working with the inmates to prepare them for getting out and getting back into “normal” society. This vital opportunity, however, is currently being denied to a significant portion of the more than Rather than spending more to house the growing prison population and to fund excessive rates of incarceration, federal and state governments should focus instead on supporting rehabilitation and reducing recidivism. The public wants details and reasons why the population who breaks society’s laws needs support for education not given their law-abiding peers. Giving taxpayer dollars to political candidates — effectively a blank check for their campaigns — is simply unacceptable. Many prisoners will have previously had unsatisfactory experiences of the classroom. And let’s not forget the polls that show the public is opposed to taxpayer-funded political campaigns. I understand that one idea of inmates going to college is to break the hold of a poor neighborhood culture and, hopefully, move these inmates out of an “in and out of jail” lifestyle. Let’s say a man who has been in prison twenty years has just been released.