Policy 2: Reducing Recidivism through Prison Education
Problem:
Recidivism is a concept where released prisoners revert to their former life of crime and return to prison later on in life. A 2008 study by the National Institute of Justice found that 67.8% of those who are released from prison return within three years of their release. Some argue that the millions and billions of dollars that tax payers pay on correctional facilities are not being wisely spent. In fact, the Vera Institute of Justice reported in a 2012 study that Georgia taxpayers paid $1.13 billion towards prisons in 2010 alone.
Stakeholders:
Obviously, those caught up in the prison system are affected by recidivism. However, so are taxpayers, children, and the families of those who have spent time behind bars. As mentioned before, Georgia taxpayers paid over one billion dollars in 2010 on their correctional facilities. Elizabeth Prann of FOX News reports that Georgia spends three times more annually per prisoner than per student. Beyond that, the Urban Institute reports that children of prisoners are more likely to be vulnerable to risk factors like social stigma, a loss of financial support, and poor grades.
Feasibility:
Progressives and conservatives have differing views on why criminal justice reform is good, but they all share a common commitment to fixing a system which they believe to be broken. Progressives love the concept because it reforms a system which has historically discriminated against communities of color and conservatives love the concept because criminal justice reform is a fiscally conservative concept which leads to a higher return on investment. For these reasons, criminal justice legislation is easier to pursue across the country because of its bipartisan nature. In Georgia specifically, Governor Nathan Deal and other Georgia lawmakers have been silent warriors in passing criminal justice reform.
In addition, choosing this recidivism topic would allow me to build off of research I did freshman year. In the fall of 2016, I delivered a speech on recidivism and prison education before the UGA Public Speaking Contest. I was awarded first place for my delivery and the content of my speech which served as a policy proposal. I can build off these old statistics while finding others and doing more academic research on the topic.
Footnotes:
“Georgia Expands Educational Opportunities for Inmates.” Correctional News. Correctional News.com, 22 Sept. 2015. Web. 15 Nov. 2016.
Henrichson, Christian, and Elizabeth Delaney. “The Price of Prisons: What Incarceration Costs Taxpayers.” (n.d.): n. pag. Vera Institute of Justice. Center on Sentencing and Corrections, 20 July 2012. Web. 27 Oct. 2016.
“Pathways from Prison to Postsecondary Education Project.” VERA Institute of Justice. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2016.
Prann, Elizabeth. “States Spend Almost Four Times More Per Capita on Incarcerating Prisoners Than Educating Students, Studies Say.” Fox News. FOX News Network, 14 Mar. 2011. Web. 05 Nov. 2016.
The Rand Corporation. Education and Vocational Training in Prisons Reduces Recidivism, Improves Job Outlook. The Rand Corporation. N.p., 22 Aug. 2013. Web. 15 Nov. 2016.
Travis, Jeremy, Amy L. Solomon, and Elizabeth Cincotta McBride. “Families Left Behind: The Hidden Costs of Incarceration and Reentry.” The Urban Institute. N.p., June 2005. Web. 15 Nov. 2016.
Westervelt, Eric. “Measuring The Power Of A Prison Education.” NPR. NPR, 31 July 2015. Web. 31 Oct. 2016.
“Why Recidivism Is a Core Criminal Justice Concern.” National Institute of Justice. N.p., 3 Oct. 2008. Web. 27 Oct. 2016.
