How Governor Deal intends to lower recidivism rates
Governor Deal has set his eyes on reducing the recidivism rate of Georgia’s inmate population by recommending an allocation of $4.3 million in next year’s budget that would go towards the erection of two charter schools, a fast track GED program, and vocational training that would assist rehabilitated offenders in their transition to civilian life. This recommendation is welcome news in an era of lower crime rates, particularly violent crime rates. With less violent offenders being sent to prison and our prisons packed to capacity with non-violent offenders for acts as benign as having a dime bag of weed, it behooves us as a state to push reform that would best equip us to assist rehabilitated offenders in their transition back to civilian life.
Education is often called the key to prosperity and this proposed budget allocation is a necessary first step to ensuring that rehabilitated offenders will have access to better outcomes than undereducated counterparts. While some may find disagreement with Governor Deal’s specific methodology (Charter Schools), we must not lose sight of the forest for the trees. Both progressives and conservatives should be able to agree with the overarching goal of Governor Deal’s action here, we may not always see eye-to-eye on other issues but criminal justice reform has become an agenda that enjoys broad bipartisan support.
By providing rehabilitated offenders with an opportunity to acquire their GED we open the doors for more or even greater opportunities, particularly the opportunity to seek an advanced degree, that would allow these individuals to better integrate into society. We should consider the possibility of inmates receiving vocational training as a net positive good for Georgia as a whole that would supply us with a population of individuals well equipped, willing, and ready to take on the challenges posed by a globalized world. Furthermore, rehabilitated offenders as a class of individuals experience severe barriers of entry to employment, education, and housing. Though there is not yet a clear plan of action to accompany Governor Deal’s recommended budget allocation, we know that at least two of three of those barriers will be lowered by some degree.
Suffice it to say, people are reluctant to give rehabilitated offenders, even the non-violent variety, a chance. This recommended allocation is exactly that — a chance. We can provide rehabilitated offenders a new lease on life and hopefully reduce not just recidivism rates but also the likelihood that they will miss out on a job opportunity due to past mistakes. Finally, while we progressives may not agree with every budget allocation recommended by the Governor, it is my hope that this recommendation will enjoy some bipartisan support, that criminal justice reform as a whole continues to enjoy broad bipartisan support, and that as the proposal makes it’s way through appropriations that it will remain a priority of the Governor and that it will be sufficiently funded so as to be well implemented.
