In this page, we are going to share pros and cons of education for prisoners. If you really want to know information about pros and cons of education for prisoners, read this article until the end.
The Pros of Education for Prisoners
Here are some pros of education for prisoners:
1. Education will reduce the recidivism rate
The prisoners who participate in the facility’s education programs have an average a 46% lower rate of recidivism compared to those who did not take any college classes. Even the Correctional Education Association discovered that correctional education lowers long-term recidivism by 29 percent.
2. It will reduce the levels of violence in a prison
The directors of prison education programs announced noticeable improvements in the general discipline and conduct of the facility. It takes one semester for prisoners to start getting this benefit. Several students even police themselves out. There are changes in behavior which occur because there is an improvement to the cognitive capacity of the inmates with those programs. It provides a person the opportunity to feel human again.
3. Prisoner education gives a chance for apprenticeships and internships
Educational classes in prison do not require to be 100% dedicated to textbooks and classroom learning. Also, there are vocational opportunities available with this approach. When the inmates learn practical skills while behind bars, then there are more chances to find work after they finish their sentence. Programs which include plumbing, welding, and electrical studies can help people to find employment or start a small business of their own. This choice is attractive to prisoners because it will allow them to work for some cash while they get to learn a skill that can take them somewhere afterward.
4. Prisoner education sets a positive example for the prisoners’ children at home
Over 50% of the people who were sentenced to a prison had minor children at home. Most of those individuals were living with their kids at the time of their arrest. Also, they expected to be reunited with them once their sentence was complete. The choice to pursue a college-level education while behind bars sets a positive example for these kids, making a far-reaching capacity which benefits society.
The Cons of Education for Prisoners
Here are some cons of education for prisoners:
1. Prisoners can use classroom information to their personal benefit in negative ways
The knowledge and information taught during education classes can be used in negative ways. Giving individuals with advanced lessons on planning, foresight, or coding can make them more effective at breaking the law. Those individuals may graduate successfully from their program, but it may also lower recidivism rates as law enforcement can no longer detect their criminal conduct. If education programs are successful, then a curriculum which fits outside of the conduct profile of the inmate is the choice to consider instead of a generalized choice.
2. Prison education programs may place educators at risk of harm
There are the instructors and professors who take time out of their schedule to work with local prison education programs. Several of these teachers are paid for their services. But there are other teachers who do not receive any compensation. If their inmate students are not carefully watched while they give a lesson, then these educators can be in serious danger without realizing what is occurring.
It means that the correctional officers and prison administrators are taking time out of their day to support a free education. Successful graduates are able to increase their communities upon release, however those who do not complete their classes may go in a different direction.
3. Prisoners do not have access to modern technology for their learning needs
There are challenges which prison educational programs face when they are instituting a program. Only 14 percent of the students enrolled in a prison program have the chances to access a restricted Internet presence. That figure represents the number of people who are given the choice to coordinate with a large-scale program. Providing the prisoners access to online features can make untold dangers in several situations which place the safety of the general public at risk.
4. It needs a significant amount of capital to get started
Once the federal government deleted almost all of the funding for prison education programs, non-profit agencies stepped up to keep providing this service. Most governments do not want to invest in their prisoners in the same way. When the Governor created changes to the educational structures of prisons in New York State, it needed an award of more than $7 million to institutions like Cornell University to offer in-prison classes.
5. Prisons have to reduce their recidivism rate to create educational programs profitable
According to research, correctional education programs have to reach a specific recidivism rate reduction to become a cost-effective resource. The break-even number varies for each institution, however the average amount it needs to lower is 1.9 to 2.6% points over a three-year examination period. In addition, RAND found that if these successes became available, then a prisoner with an education was 13% more likely to find employment. If those rates were not present, then lots of the expected benefits of this program disappeared.
6. It creates a disparity between those who make good choices and those who don’t
The students work hard to get a college education. It is not fair if someone receives it for free, particularly if they do not truly want or appreciate it. Today, people argue about the temptations which society must face and overcome. In those hard times, it is hard to be a well-rounded individual. Several students who want to go to college get rejected as their grades are not good enough. Other students do not have the money to pay for classes. Allowing someone who broke the law to obtain a benefit that those who keep the rules do not receive does send the wrong message to several people about the society’s priorities.
A bookworm and researcher especially related to law and citizenship education. I spend time every day in front of the internet and the campus library.
