Education Needed To Erase Recidivism

According to a Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Special Report, about 40 percent of all U.S. prison inmates and 44 percent of jail inmates never finished high school. The report also noted that if the 10 states with the highest recidivism rates could lower those numbers by just 10 percent, they could save $470 million a year. “If states really want to save money, they should address recidivism through programs that include education,” said advocate Adam Young, who adds that the more education an inmate receives while in prison, the greater the chance they will remain free once released. Statistics tend to support that theory. For example, one study of two groups of inmates found that those who participated in education programs in prison were less likely to be arrested again within three years of their release, and more likely to be employed. Arizona, South Carolina and Nevada all have recently passed laws that allow inmates to cut their sentences or shorten their probation by taking classes.