Is The Higher Education Act?

Last, in most prisons they have disciplinary credits. This is a system originally created as an incentive for good behavior. It gives inmates the opportunity to take educational classes, such as GED instruction, literacy education, and substance abuse treatment. There are also vocational programs that inmates can take to learn a trade or skill. Each class or program that is completed the inmate receives points or credits. Points can be used to shorted the inmates time spent behind bars. A lot of these degrees have nothing to do with future behavior, it 's just a way for the inmate to get out early. Inmates will pile up class after class, which when many are completed can take years off a long sentence. Inmates have been

     “It is not a surprise to see that prisoners all have a low education level. I guess a more educated person has enough sense not to be involved with crime…the relationship between crime and education is easy to see when viewing these facts” (Cordes 1). This is the view of most people when asked why people are in prison. People simply say that criminals were ill educated. As hard as we may try, we cannot do a lot about what happens before they enter prison, but there are many programs inside prisons to help rehabilitate them for when they leave the prison.

Although several educational programs are widely available, many inmates are unable to take advantage of them, do not complete them, or lack follow up in the form of ongoing support services once released from the correctional system. The following table displays this concern: Table 2. national and state data on inmate participation and completion . Approximate Numbers 1993-2007: Institution Type Total Number of Inmates System 165,000 167,717 Number of Inmates Enrolled in Education Programs 54,000 87,624 Rate of Attendance, At Completion of Course 50% 60% Rate of Completion

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), brain child of President Johnson, was passed in 1965. ESEA was intended to mitigate disparities in access to quality academic services and learning outcomes endured by underprivileged and minority students by federally funding schools serving their communities. ESEA, later revised as No Child Left Behind, was to be one element in a larger reform agenda focused on urban redevelopment, vocational training and “EDUCATION AND HEALTH” (Thomas & Brady, 2005). In his 1965 State of the Union, Johnson proclaimed, “No longer will we tolerate widespread involuntary idleness, unnecessary human hardship and misery, the impoverishment of whole areas… ” Nevertheless, this intractable problem remains, as illustrated by recent National Assessment of Educational Progress findings:

The correctional educational programs plays a role in reducing recidivism. Recidivism remains high nationally, with four in 10 inmates returning to prison within three years of release. Most inmate that goes to prison had less education than the general population. I feel that it's

The article "Educated Prisoners Are Less Likely to Return to Prison" by James Vacca (2004), deals with the subject of if prisoners receive the right type of educational programs in prison their risk of recidivism goes down immensely. Vacca states that "Since 1990, the literature has shown that prisoners who attend educational programs while they are incarcerated are less likely to return to prison following their release (2004)." Vacca cites many examples of the types of educational courses the inmates should have to help them deal with their emotions and problems. The educational programs help the inmates deal with their social skills, encourage artistic development, and teach techniques on how to deal with their emotions (Vacca, 2004). These programs would help inmates deal with the issues that put them in prison in the first place and knowing these skills can then help keep them out of prison in the future. I find these arguments to be sound because Vacca shows the research from other people all over that concurs with his own claims of how these programs can keep recidivism at bay (2004). He cites many examples and goes into depth about why inmates may be in prison and what these programs will do to correct their problems and turn them into a real

Inmates need to be educated and rehabilitated in order to be released back into society. If prisoners receive a good education they are less likely to commit misconduct in the future. The Three State Recidivism Study

A provision in the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 banned access to Pell Grants for incarcerated adults. At the time, Pell grant usage among inmates constituted less than 1 percent of Federal Pell spending, but its removal all but eliminated postsecondary opportunities for inmates. Since that time, research has found that access to correctional education (i.e. adult education, postsecondary courses, and workforce training) correlates with significantly reduced chances of recidivism, increased employment prospects, and greater public safety. Under the Obama Administration the Department initiated a pilot program reinstating some incarcerated individuals’ access to Pell Grants to pursue higher education. Do you have an opinion on whether providing postsecondary for prisoners helps reduce recidivism, increase employment, and

While in prison, education would provide a crucial key for inmate rehabilitation. Part of that rehabilitation can be in the form of education. Education in the prison system generally geared

Though there is evidence that educational programs are needed to help in reducing crime, politicians and policy makers have not really understood this finding and thereby support the programs they assume are better suited at deterring criminals. Thus, they directed funding from educational programs to other areas, such as in security and anger management or drug treatment (Batiuk et al 2005). Furthermore, studies have shown that those inmates that are released from prison, about two thirds of them end up being re-incarcerated within three years of their release (Klein et al 2004). As a result, when these policy makers ignore empirical research and findings and set up own policies, they are setting up the offenders for failure and anyone else affected by the policies,

Prisoners are described as untrustworthy criminals-a characteristic a college education won’t change. Victims of criminals are used as more evidence of their negative nature; justifying why inmates shouldn’t be able to be awarded the grants. In contrast, they emphasize the innocent nature of law abiding citizens, who work relentlessly to be able to send their kids to college, and how these attributes make them different than inmates; and therefore the only rightful receiver of Pell Grants. The group that supported Pell Grants in U.S. prisons, took a less aggressive role. They didn’t refute the opposing side’s claim completely, but focused on the positive results of college education. They portrayed inmates as molding blocks who could change with the help of proper resources, and the fact that they were as much of a citizen as anyone else- and deserved the same opportunity of the Pell

Department of Justice (DOJ) reports 2.2 million people are in our nation's jails and prisons and another 4.5 million people are on probation or parole in the U.S., totaling 6.8 million people, one of every 35 adults (Vallas and Detrich 4). To me, that is completely ludicrous and harrowing to have that many human beings in jail. I sense that most of the people in their either need counseling, rehab, or a better education because the probability of them being in their is due to their past of being raised in an unsupportive environment with neglectful and/or abusive families. There is a crisis in our nation of rising mental illnesses, like our current opioid addiction happening in the US. We are managing with people who have co-occurring disorders that can lead them to unlawful actions, addiction and mental illness. Those individuals usually get sent to the jail system and don’t get the proper attention they need. Changing the jail system by implanting a stronger educational system that works on improving their behavior, giving them the resources they need, and skills can help build a successful citizen. To support my belief, a study published by RAND Corporation found that inmates who participated in correctional education programs had a 43% lowers odd of recidivism than inmates who did not, a 5% decrease on tax dollars spent per student, and inmates who participated in the study were likely to obtain employment after being released than those who did

Lacking an education, poverty, unemployment, crime, imprisonment is an intergenerational cycle, and the education is the best way to help to break this cycle. Lewen said that our students’ kids have a 50 percent likelihood of going to prison if they lack the education, and I totally agree with her about that point of view. I believe if the children can get a complete education, it will help minimize the chance of going to prison. By contrast, some of the teenagers, young people or adults lack education, and they make crime because of under-education. However, if they can get education inside the prison, they can get a job when they release from jail, and that means the intergenerational cycle of crime break. Probably, some people think inmates

Education reduces the recidivism rate. According to www.ed.gov, “Employment after release was thirteen percent higher among prisoners who participated in either academic or vocational education programs than among those who did not.” Education gives

Education is not a fix all by any means, but it is the best start to solving the large literacy rates of US prisons. Of course, it will require much hard work on the part of the prisoner getting out, and there may be a large percentage who do not desire to take advantage of such programs, but Americans should encourage and give these individuals tools to help them back into society. Pont sums it up best, “Our aim should be to propel offenders into, rather than away from, successful participation in the labor force” (23). Stimulation of involvement in the work force will encourage offenders of the law to stay out of trouble rather than to take the revolving door that always leads back to the same place.