by Aba Aggrey
Everyone in the United States should have a right to quality education. This right includes every marginalized group that is overlooked when educational funds are being allocated, but remembered when it’s time for budget cuts. Incarcerated people deserve an education for many reasons. It can reduce their likelihood of recidivating, better prepare incarcerated individuals for life outside of prison, and increase their social and economic mobility. Overall rehabilitation, especially through education, can help the incarcerated become productive members of society upon release. Pennsylvania does not currently offer GED through college education programming at all its prisons, and it is time to change this; we should start investing more in the future of incarcerated individuals.In this essay, I will talk about three points; explaining what recidivism is, why the purpose of incarceration should be rehabilitation, and how education for incarcerated adults is a way to help reduce recidivism.
Recidivism refers committing a new offense, violating parole, or violating probation. A study done by the U.S. Sentencing Commission found that within eight years, almost half of all individuals released from federal prison will be sent back to jail. This suggests that the Criminal Justice System has not been able to successfully reduce recidivism rates. According to The Prison Studies Project, 95 out of 100 incarcerated people will return to society. Although people are reentering society, many find their way back to the system. Black men have the highest recidivism due to reasons such as: racism, poverty, lack of employment opportunities in their communities. I believe that if all incarcerated individuals were released from incarceration with the proper tools to improve their life circumstance, the reentry process would be more successful. It’s clear that the current prison system is not successful in preventing those released from prison from returning to prison.
One reason I believe we have such high rates of recidivism is that we do not prepare those who are incarcerated to succeed when they are released. The main goal of incarcerating an individual should be more than punishment, incapacitation, and deterrence. These are temporary fixes to a deeply rooted problem. Some formerly incarcerated individuals have not had the chance to experience freedom from 24 hour surveillance in years, sometimes decades. There are many barriers during the transition from behind bars to freedom that include finding employment, housing, and learning the world all over again. Rehabilitation is what is necessary to lower the recidivism rate, and help people help themselves. The Department of Justice has found that recognizing a person’s criminogenic needs, which refers to their risk of recidivating and programmatic need, is the most important aspect in creating a reentry plan; This way, the incarcerated individual can receive the appropriate services that are necessary in reducing their own likelihood of recidivism. Rehabilitation can look like educational courses, therapy, mental health services, and drug treatment. The Department of Justice has listed all of these rehabilitation tactics as some of the most significant factors in reducing recidivism.
GED and college courses for incarcerated adults have positive impacts on recidivism. Incarcerated individuals who receive some form of correctional education have a 43% lower chance of recidivating,This is why I believe that incarcerated adults without a high school diploma should be able to take courses in order to gain a GED, and college courses should be available for anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. The statistics show a decrease in recidivism when an incarcerated individual who obtained their GED while incarcerated is compared to an incarcerated individual without a high school diploma or its equivalent, . A Prison Policy Initiative study found that those with a GED had a 32% recidivism rate, while the other had a 37% chance of recidivating. Receiving educational courses while incarcerated will put people in a better position to succeed upon release.
Education programs will allow incarcerated individuals to have greater chances of social and economic mobility upon release. The United States penal system disproportionately punishes low income people of color.There are lasting consequences of being incarcerated , and I believe it is due to the lack of preparation for reentry. Many people go to prison for crimes of poverty like theft, and for crimes committed due to their substance abuse issues. Locking people away with no efforts to educate or rehabilitate them is a part of the reason recidivism is so high. After incarcerated individuals finish serving their time they should no longer be punished after release. It is prolonged punishment when they don’t have the ability to improve their lives, and they now have criminal records that make it difficult to find employment, and in some cases housing. People reentering into society face stigma, housing and food insecurity, issues with substance abuse, and more. Rehabilitation and education will help incarcerated individuals become productive members of society, because they will be in a better position to navigate the world with a likely improved mindset and a degree that will support them during job searches.
To conclude, I would like to leave you with the question of, why isn’t Pennsylvania providing education to these adults who are incarcerated? There are very few educational programs in Pennsylvania that allow them to earn their GED or college degree while incarcerated;the programs we do have can be found at Higher Ed in Prison. GED and college courses should be available at every prison in Pennsylvania as an overall shift to rehabilitation. Incarcerated individuals are worth the time, effort, and resources. The research and statistics have been available for a long time now, and it clearly shows the benefits of education for someone who is incarcerated. If the goal of incarceration is to prevent further criminal activity in a person, I think it is time the government puts more effort into ensuring quality education for everyone in the United States.
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