Should prisoners be given the opportunity to be educated?
Is education a human right? Article 26 of the United Nations’ “Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” states that “Everyone has the right to an education.” In 2003 over 85% of inmates had not participated in post secondary education, and only 23% of the total incarcerated had or obtained their GED. Though most prisons do have a GED program, only about 35% of prisons offer college level courses for inmates. Although the incarceration rate has been steadily increasing, little has been done to improve higher education in prisons. The thoroughly studied effects and benefits of education (reduced recidivism, decreased violence in prisons, better employment opportunities, etc.) are vastly outweighed by our possessive desire not to share what we view to be a coveted privilege. Aren’t we taught as kids that “sharing is caring” and “everybody makes mistakes”? Why are these childhood anecdotes and lessons being forgotten, and why are they not being applied to the cases of prisoners who are facing the penalty for their errors?
While many Americans may be unwilling to share a privilege with someone they deem as undeserving, it is important to look at how education can actually reduce re-incarceration and can help former convicts stay on a more ethical path. Recidivism, or the tendency of a convicted criminal to reoffend, has not decreased. According to the Bureau of Justice statistics, “An estimated 68% of released prisoners were arrested within 3 years, 79% within 6 years, and 83% within 9 years.” (Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) — 2018 Update on Prisoner Recidivism: A 9-Year Follow-up Period (2005–2014), 2018). Not only has the US incarceration rate increased by more than 500% over the last 40 years, but now the rate at which people go back to prison is skyrocketing. Isn’t there something that can be done? “In 2016, the RAND Corporation produced a report that showed that individuals who participate in any type of educational program while in prison are 43 percent less likely to return to prison.” (Bender, 2018). So education would not only be beneficial to the inmate, who would be 43% less likely to come back, but it would be beneficial to the friends and family who may emotionally and/or financially lean on this inmate. It is easy to dehumanize someone when they make a mistake, but it is important when thinking about inmates and their experience in prison, to also contemplate the effect on loved ones.
Many studies have even linked positive psychological effects of postsecondary prison education to the children of the incarcerated. Besides a reduced likelihood of having a parent being sent back to prison, which has negative effects of its own like increased economic problems and/or unstable family environments, studies have shown that children with parents that have college degrees are more likely to go to college themselves. “In 1999, 82 percent of students whose parents held a bachelor’s degree or higher enrolled in college immediately after finishing high school. The rates were much lower for those whose parents had completed high school but not college (54 percent) and even lower for those whose parents had less than a high school diploma (36 percent)” (Indicator 26, The Condition of Education 2001). Not only can education in prisons help break the intergenerational cycle of incarceration and inequity, but it can also lead to the desire to pursue higher education which can guide children to a brighter future.
Now the real question is: Who is paying for this? Many Americans may not be willing to disburse hard earned tax dollars to extend a privilege to someone they find unworthy, but if it is the economy that is truly the primary concern, one would be happy to learn that an education would be a celebrated resume enhancer that would likely boost the chances of any former inmate when applying for a job. It’s probably not hard to believe that unemployment is a problem for former convicts. The unemployment rate of ex-offenders is 27% compared to the national average of 4% , and with the knowledge of the harsh impacts of unemployment on the formerly incarcerated it would also be important to note that “ by 2020, 65 percent of jobs will require postsecondary education and training beyond high school. However, only 11 percent of incarcerated people in state prisons and 24 percent of those in federal prisons have completed at least some postsecondary education.” (diZerega, 2017). With the opportunity of an education, finding and obtaining a job would be easier, allowing former inmates to find a meaningful and productive role in society.
While there are studies that show that every dollar invested in prison-based education yields $4 to $5 of taxpayer savings in reduced incarceration costs, even with no taxpayer savings, who are we to deny a basic human right, especially when that right not only offers benefits for the individual but also their family and children. Instead of asking the question “should prisoners be given the opportunity of an education” we should instead be thinking about the possibilities educated prisoners can provide for us and our society.
Works Cited
•Bender, K., 2020. Education Opportunities In Prison Are Key To Reducing Crime — Center For American Progress. [online] Center for American Progress. Available at: <https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education-k-12/news/2018/03/02/447321/education-opportunities-prison-key-reducing-crime/#:~:text=In%202016%2C%20the%20RAND%20Corporation,one%20generation%20to%20the%20next.> [Accessed 30 October 2020].
•Bjs.gov. 2018. Bureau Of Justice Statistics (BJS) — 2018 Update On Prisoner Recidivism: A 9-Year Follow-Up Period (2005–2014). [online] Available at: <https://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=6266> [Accessed 30 October 2020].
• Irving, D., 2020. The Case For Correctional Education In U.S. Prisons. [online] Rand.org. Available at: <https://www.rand.org/blog/rand-review/2016/01/course-correction-the-case-for-correctional-education.html> [Accessed 28 October 2020].
• Vera. 2017. diZerega, M. Expanding Access To Postsecondary Education In Prison. [online] Available at: <https://www.vera.org/publications/postsecondary-education-in-prison-fact-sheet-for-correction-leaders> [Accessed 27 October 2020].
•Staff, T., 2020. Prison Education: Guide To College Degrees For Inmates And Ex-Offenders. [online] TheBestSchools.org. Available at: <https://thebestschools.org/magazine/prison-inmate-education-guide/> [Accessed 1 November 2020].
•University, N., 2020. Benefits Of Prison Education — Northwestern Prison Education Program. [online] Sites.northwestern.edu. Available at: <https://sites.northwestern.edu/npep/benefits-of-prison-education/> [Accessed 3 November 2020].
