Why Do We Need To Invest In Prison Education?

1. Irony

The United States is a country which brags about the ideals of freedom and Democracy; however, while we only make up five percent of the world's population, we house a quarter of the world's prison population. It must make it very difficult to preach about equality around the world when a country incarcerates so many of its citizens and removes their right to participate in Democracy.

2. Prison Has Become Costly

The Vera Institute of Justice, in a 2012 study of 40 participating states, found that the average cost of keeping a single inmate in prison is around $31,000 per year. Total cost, in just those 40 states, was at $39 billion per year for maintaining the prisons. Imagine where else this money could be going to.

3. High Return

Keeping on the idea of financial benefit, by investing in prison education we are able to get a return of $5 for every $1, a 400 percent return on value. This statistic was generated in a report from the Vera Institute of Justice when taking into account the drop in recidivism rate, the rate in which an inmate will return to prison after release.

4. Safer Neighborhoods

Talking about recidivism rates, justice-involved individuals who receive college education are actually 43% less likely to return to prison. What this means in short terms is simple: there will be less crime being committed.

5. Job Security

Justice involved individuals who receive a college education are 13 percent more likely to get a job after their release. This can make the difference between successful reentry and return to a prison facility. With secure employment, previously incarcerated individuals are able to maintain a lifestyle that will not require them to fall back to the acts which led to their original arrest.

6. Reuniting Families

It should come as no surprise that communities can be broken by the incarceration of loved ones. By allowing college in prison, students from the inside will be able to return to their community and take pride in their education. Their children and family will feel reassured that their loved one is taking steps to stay out of the criminal justice system, and the children will have a greater desire to pursue higher education as well.

7. Removing the Stigma

Most important of all, returning home with a college education can help in removing the stigma of incarceration. The movement for “Ban the Box” was a brilliant first step in fighting the employment discrimination that the previously incarcerated population faced when pursuing stable income. However, we must continue to combat this stigma as it will make the difference in whether these students from the inside will successfully reenter communities or fall back into the criminal justice system. These students are able to demonstrate that they are capable of achieving an education from a qualified university of college, thus becoming more than just another number in the system of mass incarceration.

Written with hope for a better future,

Nuno