Education as Crime Prevention

[PoBoy321]

Here's a link to a report by the Bard Prison Initiative which seeks to justify the reinstatement of Pell Grants for prisoners as a way to decrease recidivism and make a prisoner more likely to become a productive member of society upon release.

Cliff's Notes: In 1965, the US Gov't passed a measure which made prisoners who were not serving life sentences eligible to receive Pell Grants in order that they could receive a college education while in prison. The measure was repealed in 1994. In 1993, prisoners received less than .1% of all Pell Grants awarded. The money saved by decreased incarceration costs came out to be over $2 for every $1 spent on Pell Grants. Recidivism rates of prisoners who received college educations were approximately 1/3 that of the general prison population. Prisoners who received a college education were more likely to maintain stable employment upon release than other prisoners.

In light of the facts that it saves the taxpayer money, decreases crime and increases the workforce, what logical arguments can be made NOT to reinstate Pell Grants for prisoners?

[cambraceres]

It is distasteful to the average American voter, and if the voters don't like it then how could it be good?

I really don't see any logical problems of doctrine, it's a politics over policy thing.

Cambraceres

[Brainwalter]

[ QUOTE ]
Recidivism rates of prisoners who received college educations were approximately 1/3 that of the general prison population. Prisoners who received a college education were more likely to maintain stable employment upon release than other prisoners.

[/ QUOTE ]

Careful with the correlation and causation here. It seems likely to me that the inmates who would (successfully) take advantage of this program would be better at doing those things without the program, too.

[PoBoy321]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Recidivism rates of prisoners who received college educations were approximately 1/3 that of the general prison population. Prisoners who received a college education were more likely to maintain stable employment upon release than other prisoners.

[/ QUOTE ]

Careful with the correlation and causation here. It seems likely to me that the inmates who would (successfully) take advantage of this program would be better at doing those things without the program, too.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's a good point. I need to head to bed, but I'll see if I can find any info on the effect that the college programs had on recidivism rates as a whole.

[Brainwalter]

Oh, I'm sure they did have better experience with employment as a result of the degrees, but they also likely would have still done better than the other inmates even without the degrees.

[dragon14]

The problem is that the prison population as a whole is less intelligent than the average population of the country. That is reflected by the low rates of literacy in the prison population.

For the small number of prisoners that can handle college level work, it seems to be worthwhile to provide for their education. This program is not going to significantly reduce recidivism as very few prisoners will be able to utilize it.

[FlFishOn]

"The problem is that the prison population as a whole is less intelligent than the average population of the country. That is reflected by the low rates of literacy in the prison population. "

This cohort is also fatherless in a much higher percentage than the general population. Maybe that's something we can socially engineer into a partial fix at modest cost. The bulk of the conservative spectrum would support most any effort to increase two parent families.