Essay On Prison Education

The majority of prisoners enter the system with very little to no education or work skills. Education is a huge factor in whether or not a human will succeed in life. Those individuals who lack in instruction will have a greater chance to participate in an offense against the law. Their is a direct correlation to those in prison and their education level. Multiple sources have concluded that 48% of prisoners have literacy skills at or below those expected of an 11-year-old (). Literacy skills are necessary for the workplace, and everyday life. These skills include being able to read and write. Without the skills, a person will have a harder time providing for their family and surviving in the ever growing society without committing a crime. 40% of state inmates do not own a high school diploma (). In Order to create contributing members of society America needs to build a foundation of knowledge amongst the prisoners. American prison systems
The rate of incarceration in America has grown tremendously costing United states taxpayers an average of more than $80 billion a year according to a recent database. Allie Bidwell states that “Educational programs cost about $1,744 per inmate each year,”() Building stronger educational programs can save thousands of dollars that would have been used to reincarnate the individual. The large sums of money however is not being used for the rehabilitation aspect of the prison system. Taxpayers pay a whopping $12,442 for health care for each prisoner.() the prison system that lacks focus on rehabilitating, The prison systems should concentrate primarily on rehabilitation/education programs. In Order to reduce recidivism we need to spend a good fraction of our tax money on prison education. Rehabilitation programs will improve the mass incarceration rates that we see in America along with the crime