Just 6 percent of prisoners are enrolled in postsecondary education, and of that number, most are enrolled in vocational certificate programs -- less than a quarter are working toward an associate's or bachelor's degree. So reports the Chronicle of Higher Education today, summarizing a new study from the Institute for Higher Education Policy.
Here's the kicker:
Although research has shown a link between educating prisoners and reduced rates of recidivism, many inmates have struggled to pay for college since President Bill Clinton barred inmates from receiving Pell Grants, in 1994.
I wrote about this a few months back at my Prison Law Blog -- prison higher ed programs are essentially an unfunded unmandate. There's basically no political support, and thus no government funding, for offering college classes behind bars.
This is unfortunate, since we know that college programs work to help prisoners become better prepared for re-entering society. You sometimes hear the argument that prison college programs are a waste of money, because who's going to hire an ex-felon, anyway? Well, of course, we should also be working to address employment discrimination against former prisoners, but here's the thing: Education isn't just about career preparation -- it's about reading, listening, reflecting, seeing issues from all sides, appreciating the value of perspectives different from one's own, engaging in respectful debate. In a rational world, we'd want more Americans, not fewer, to have practiced those skills.
