Free College Education for prisoners..

[leftWNYbecauseofBS]

What if this saves money? Would people support it rather than having a knee jerk reaction to it?

If it costs $60,000 a year to incarcerate, but prisoners leaving jail have a 40% recidivism rate with an average incarceration length of 2.5 years, each prisoner has an expected future cost of $60,000.

Now earning college degrees almost certainly reduces recidivism (Buffalo Pundit cited a study showing showing it dropping from 40% to 4%). So if this $5,000 cost reduced recidivism from 40% to 20% and the average length of returned incarceration of 2 years, each prisoner who completed their degree expected future cost would drop to $24,000. Adding in the cost of the degree that would be a $31,000 savings per prisoner.

Even if the completion was one in three, there would still be a savings of $21,000.

I would like to see more hard numbers on completion rates, recidivism and length of incarceration on return, but isn't this a smart way to save the state money and reduce crime as well?

I think if you separate the FREE component and find another way to educate the incarcerated there would not be such opposition. Even if the savings is there, and I see that it is, it's still not fair. As so many people like to use the term 'fair share' that needs to apply to those who have been convicted as well. You can't reward people for making mistakes just because it makes it easier on you. That's like a parent not disciplining their kids, say grounding them for the weekend, because doing so would force the parents to give up plans for something fun for the whole family.


What if they were to say:

If you are incarcerated for a non-violent offense and say have a 10 year sentence. You would be able to reduce that sentence by 4 years if you completed a college degree AND when you got out you were required to provide 4160hrs (8hrs/week/10yrs) of community service over 10 years. That service could be as simple as cleaning up parks or removing graffiti or any of the other small items that would go a very long way to making a community better. Not only would the state save the $240K in incarceration costs but the community as a whole would pick up $42,016 ($10.10x4160) in labor.

This would remove the FREE element to it and thus remove the reasonable opposition.

[Frank Broughton]

How does this create a disincentive to break the law?

Let them bars close behind you just once and you will know.

[leftWNYbecauseofBS]

Let them bars close behind you just once and you will know.

Well apparently with the rates of return visitors to prison it can't be that bad......

[Frank Broughton]

Well apparently with the rates of return visitors to prison it can't be that bad......

It worked with me....

[HipKat]

You think Prisoners getting an education in prison is something new????????

[HipKat]

It worked with me....

Me too. 5 days in county and I'm NEVER going back

[4248]

My first question is why does it only cost " $5,000 " for a prisoner to get a degree ?

Please show me where my young adults can get a collage degree - room and board - free food - health care for $5000.00?

OH - I forgot - they can just commit a crime !



What the hell is Gov.Cuomo thinking ?

New bumper sticker :
"FELONS FAMILIES FOR CUOMO"

[Frank Broughton]

Me too. 5 days in county and I'm NEVER going back

Scarey place for sure. Imagine life with no possibility of parole - phew.... There are a few things I would go back for, mess with my grand kids or mom or wife or pastor. That is the only thing......

[Frank Broughton]

What .... is Gov.Cuomo thinking ?

Cuomo and thinking.... does not compute 8-)

[buffy]

What if they were to say:

If you are incarcerated for a non-violent offense and say have a 10 year sentence. You would be able to reduce that sentence by 4 years if you completed a college degree AND when you got out you were required to provide 4160hrs (8hrs/week/10yrs) of community service over 10 years. That service could be as simple as cleaning up parks or removing graffiti or any of the other small items that would go a very long way to making a community better. Not only would the state save the $240K in incarceration costs but the community as a whole would pick up $42,016 ($10.10x4160) in labor.

This would remove the FREE element to it and thus remove the reasonable opposition.

I love that idea, lefty. I would support something like that.

My first question is why does it only cost " $5,000 " for a prisoner to get a degree ?

Please show me where my young adults can get a collage degree - room and board - free food - health care for $5000.00?

Online college education, the costs are very low - a 4 year degree can be had for under $5,000, and with online education we avoid involving the teachers union

[FMD]

The USA has the largest prison population in the entire world, over 2.5 million.

[4248]

Now - this sounds sensible - BRAVO !

I think if you separate the FREE What if they were to say:

If you are incarcerated for a non-violent offense and say have a 10 year sentence. You would be able to reduce that sentence by 4 years if you completed a college degree AND when you got out you were required to provide 4160hrs (8hrs/week/10yrs) of community service over 10 years. That service could be as simple as cleaning up parks or removing graffiti or any of the other small items that would go a very long way to making a community better. Not only would the state save the $240K in incarceration costs but the community as a whole would pick up $42,016 ($10.10x4160) in labor.

This would remove the FREE element to it and thus remove the reasonable opposition.

[HipKat]

My first question is why does it only cost " $5,000 " for a prisoner to get a degree ?

Please show me where my young adults can get a collage degree - room and board - free food - health care for $5000.00?

OH - I forgot - they can just commit a crime !



What the hell is Gov.Cuomo thinking ?

New bumper sticker :
"FELONS FAMILIES FOR CUOMO"

I think you forgot the cost of housing a prisoner, but still, good point

[Mr. Lackawanna]

I think if you separate the FREE component and find another way to educate the incarcerated there would not be such opposition. Even if the savings is there, and I see that it is, it's still not fair. As so many people like to use the term 'fair share' that needs to apply to those who have been convicted as well. You can't reward people for making mistakes just because it makes it easier on you. That's like a parent not disciplining their kids, say grounding them for the weekend, because doing so would force the parents to give up plans for something fun for the whole family.


What if they were to say:

If you are incarcerated for a non-violent offense and say have a 10 year sentence. You would be able to reduce that sentence by 4 years if you completed a college degree AND when you got out you were required to provide 4160hrs (8hrs/week/10yrs) of community service over 10 years. That service could be as simple as cleaning up parks or removing graffiti or any of the other small items that would go a very long way to making a community better. Not only would the state save the $240K in incarceration costs but the community as a whole would pick up $42,016 ($10.10x4160) in labor.

This would remove the FREE element to it and thus remove the reasonable opposition.

I don't think that would work. Years ago the county had all able bodied males who were on welfare do work in the county parks and other areas in the county.
The county unions complained that these workers were replacing county workers. The work for welfare program was stopped.

[WNYresident]

When Cuomo talks about this he should say "We would like the net tax payers to pay for (insert what ever they want to spend money on)" versus "free (insert what ever they want to spend money on)"

I think the low information voters actually think "things are free" and don't realize someone does pay for this stuff.