College Education for Inmates?

 Governor Andrew Cuomo has decided to drop his plan to use state money to pay for inmates to have college classes. Many other politicians, lawmakers, and voters persuaded Cuomo to drop his plan of using public money to pay for inmate’s college classes, as a means to avoid political controversy over the subject. Governor Cuomo shortly made a statement saying that he understands the appearance of his plan and how it looked to the public but does not agree with their decision not to help pay. Paying for inmates to have college level classes would only cost a small amount of money, around $1 million. The amount may seem large and unnecessary, but is slim when you compare it to the $2.8 billion budget New York State spends through its corrections agency. Although Cuomo has dropped his plan to use public money to pay for college classes, they are still offered in over a dozen state prisons. The college programs that are currently in state facilities are funded by private money donations. A study was conducted by RAND Corporation; found that inmates who have received college classes in prison have had a smaller chance of returning to prison. New York State currently spends on average, $60,000 per year for one inmate and it will cost about $5,000 a year per inmate, for college classes to be offered in prisons across the state. Each inmate would be able to obtain his or her associates or bachelors while in prison, for free. New York’s current recidivism rate is 40%. It is believed that with the offering of college classes that this can be decreased. Governor Cuomo’s intention to use public money was to increase the amount of inmates receiving these classes. While Cuomo was still pushing for college classes in prisons, lawmakers across New York State started petitions to stop him. Many politicians used the term “Hell no to Attica University” to make their point clear on this topic. Unfortunately giving a free education to criminals does not get the support of the public. Although it looks good on paper and may help in the long run, in the public’s eye and other politicians, it’s unfair. Not just unfair to current students paying absurd amounts of money to attend school but also students who cannot afford to go to college that want to.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/03/nyregion/cuomo-drops-plan-to-use-state-money-to-pay-for-college-classes-for-inmates.html