According to Ken Macur, president at Medaille College, “free prison education should be given to most of the inmates because this program aims to reduce recidivism in inmates.” For inmates who went, to prison while, they were young; this becomes an opportunity for them to be useful when they get out. Also, those who see prison as a haven for them and commit a crime again after leaving the jail get to fit well while they are out. Those who doubt this education given to prisoners saying that it is not necessary. As they advocate for them to remain there as long as possible (Maximino, 2014). Recidivism makes it expensive for prison department to maintain them every time they are back to committing a crime again, this is according to David MacKune Lansing Correctional facility in Kansas. With this education in prison, most of the prisoners will be a useful citizen while they are out and they will never think of going back to prison.
Secondly, providing quality education to most of the inmates gives real possibility transformation of inmates into community champion of change. According to Dominica Kimberly Moe a lecturer who teaches prisoners at DePaul University. Dominica Kimberly Moe goes ahead to say that, education for inmates play a vital role for people of color like blacks who face neglect in their neighborhood, who do not go to school and turn to crime(Moe,2017). Such communities do benefit from this education program which nurtures their unrealized abilities, so as they come back to the community they are influential people who can be a good role model to others. After incarceration when they are back, those who are still locked in crime will change as they see those who were in prison as a new person.
Thirdly, prison education has led to the reduction of violence rate in the country. According to Crisfino Kenyatta Leal, a lecturer who teaches prisoners in state prison in New York has confirmed that violence among the prisoners has reduced (Taylor, 2015). Crisfino attributes this decline to prison education program that many prisoners have managed to enroll in as a student. She says, “It occurred to me that at San Quentin the power of education had changed the culture within the prison.” Most wardens are amazed by how incarcerated students policed themselves as well as how they have changed in behavior. Those prisoners who were violent are always in their right behavior as they get to know how to live with others in prison and outside if they become a free citizen.
Lastly, prison education has led to increased employment in the country. Most of the incarcerated people who decide to study and pursue bachelor education while in prison become resourceful people to the economy. With the degrees that they have earned most of the convicts fits well in jobs when they are out. According to Bureau of Justice Statistics, the average annual employment rate of former convicts has increased, this is because of the education programs that are going on in prisons. Kate Moore, one of the students who has benefited from education program while in prison says. “Prison education is a means of rehabilitating and re-directing. If you release someone with the same skill with which she came in, she’s going to get involved in the same activities as she did before.” Prison education increases employment every year by a significant margin; the Bureau of justice statistic has noticed this.
There are some people who believe that college education should not be given to inmates. As they claim that education to prisoners is an arsenal that will come to haunt the society at long last. According to Lawrence Sherman, most of skills that inmates get is eventually used for evil to harm the people. Because most prisoners after leaving the prison and get employment majority of them are the ones, who have committed crimes or associated with crime syndicate to rob people (Maximino, 2014). John O’Hara who is in jail now for the third time has confessed that prison education changed little for him. Most of the prison recidivist admit that the education they get while serving is to help them survive while in prison, but it changes little of what they are in reality.
Works Cited
Bruinius, Harry. “Should-prisoners-get-a-free-college-degree.” 01 12 2016. CS MONITOR. Document. 13 April 2018.
Maximino, Martin. “The effects of prison education programs.” 3 June 2014. https://journalistsresource.org. Document. 13 April 2018.
Moe, Dominica Kimberly. “How Educating Inmates Benefits All.” 03 September 2017. https://www.nytimes.com. Document. 13 April 2018.
Taylor, Loretta. “Prison education is a smart investment, reduces crime.” 9 October 2015. https://www.seattletimes.com. Document. 13 April 2018.
