College Degrees in Prison - Case Study Example

Although there is a societal tendency to want to lock up offenders and “throw away the key,” the reality is that 95 percent of prison inmates, who tend to be poor, ethnic or racial minorities, male, and young, will eventually be released to rejoin society and either return to their criminal lifestyles or adopt new, socially responsible patterns of behavior (Erisman & Contardo, 2005; Freeman, 1996; Harlow, 2003; Harrison & Beck, 2006; Petersilia, 2003). On average, these inmates are less educated than the general population. Approximately 40 percent of inmates in state and federal prisons and jails do not have a high school diploma or a General Educational Development (GED) diploma, compared to 18 percent of the general population. Michael DiGirolomo is a twenty four year old prison inmate in upstate New York. He is currently serving a sentence of twenty years to life for the murder of the owner of a liquor store owner during a robbery. Notably, during the robbery, Michael was high on ecstasy. While his recall of the robbery is somewhat vague, Michael owns and accepts the fact that he killed a man in cold blood. Michael has been imprisoned since he was fourteen years old. He is currently taking college courses online through Westchester Community College. His mother has paid for his course and he hopes to one day obtain his Masters Degree in Social Work. His career goal is to work in the prison system assisting inmates to better themselves so that whey they are released, they can become productive members of society. Since entering prison, Michael has taken and completed with honors, every available course offered by the New York State department of corrections. Michael is a certified alcoholism counselor and assists new inmates struggling with addiction. According to his attorney, Michele M. Bonsignore Esq. “Michael has letters of support from various members of the community in which the murder took place all of whom are promising employment upon his release from prison”. Michael has been refused parole four times despite his pristine record. Undaunted, he looks for courses and other means to improve himself while still “on the inside” while his mother cries wondering how long her son will be in prison(Bonsignore, 2008). Obtaining a college education, however, is becoming increasingly important in today’s knowledge-based, global economy, as described by Irwin Braun, co-author of America’s Perfect Storm: The economy itself is experiencing seismic changes, resulting in new sources of wealth, new patterns of international trade, and a shift in the balance of capital over labor. These changes are causing a profound restructuring of the U.S. workplace, with a larger proportion of job growth occurring in higher- level occupations that require a college education, such as management, professional, technical, and executive-level sales. The wage gap is widening between the most- and least-skilled workers; men with bachelor’s degrees can expect to earn almost twice as much over their lifetimes as those without (Education Testing Service, 2007).” Suffice it to say that an ordinary reader may not sympathize with the above true fact pattern. After all, the prisoner killed a man in cold blood. Many feel that prisoners are entitled to nothing more than bread and water. This paper seeks to discuss the issue of inmate education with an in depth factual analysis while allowing the reader to reach their own conclusion. While acknowledging that the issue is a sensitive one, it remains unavoidable because many would argue that inmates are getting rewarded for the crime they committed by receiving a free education. Some might wonder why their tax money should contribute to a free education for prisoners. Indeed there is some merit to this position considering that most parents struggle to send their children to college (Coeyman 1998). The Prison University Project in San Quentin is the only onsite university for inmates in California. Approximately 200 men take about two classes a semester which is earned toward their AA degrees. Since the university was founded in 1996, 68 students have earned AAs at San Quentin. Far more have transferred and proceeded to complete their studies after being paroled. The school is an extension of Patten University, a nondenominational Christian college based in Oakland. (Coeyman 1998) Even in California however, there are doubts. The San Quentin college program is also controversial. During times when the cost of a four-year college education in California is approaching $100,000, citizens have objections to the notion of providing free higher education to inmates "If you are a working-class family and you are law-abiding and struggling to put your kids through school, you may think, Why should someone be able to commit a crime and then go to prison and get a college education?" says Terry Thornton, spokesperson for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). "People are supportive of education, but the taxpayers are not going to want to pay for prisoners to get a college degree while in prison (Lanzendorfer 2007)”. According to California Department of Corrections spokesman Thornton, “Prisoners often couldnt concentrate when they were in school because of other pressing issues like abuse, hunger, drug addiction, homelessness and gang activities (Lanzendorfer 2007)”. Furthermore, a large portion of the prison population have led their lives with undiagnosed learning disabilities, like ADD or dyslexia. This has made the prisoner’s classroom time just that much more difficult. When they were ignored or scolded by teachers for their disabilities, they likely acted out and evidenced behavioral problems. In any case, the common denominator, with most of them the educational system did not address their needs. In a 1997 report, the Center on Crime, Communities & Culture, a nonprofit advocacy group based in New York concluded, "The more education received, the less likely an individual is to be re-arrested and re-imprisoned. (Pfeiffer 2000)". Moreover, researchers argue that spending time in prison actually decreases one’s ability to cope in the community and maintain employment, as the values needed to succeed in prison often directly conflict with societal norms (Bloom, 2006; Walters, 2003). Simply having a prison record also decreases a former inmate’s ability to find employment that pays a livable wage (Bushway, 1998; Western, Kling, & Weiman, 2001). As a result, many former convicts return to their criminal behavior because they lack the educational and social skills necessary to function successfully in society (Kachnowski, 2005; Tyler & Kling, 2004; Visher, Winterfield, & Weiman, 2004). However, there is a strong urge to learn in the prison system and the desire to achieve is a burning one (Coeyman 1998). In Indiana, offenders whom are deemed eligible to enroll in the program must independently find scholarships and grants available for inmates or seek help from their family to pay for books and tuition to take courses (Potempa, 2008). Since 1974, Ohio Universitys College Program for the Incarcerated (CPI) has provided an opportunity for incarcerated students to work for college credit and degrees by correspondence. Further, they offer a second chance scholarship. In order to be eligible for the scholarship, “The student-inmate must not have committed a serious infraction that resulted in a significant penalty (i.e., local control placement) in the past six months per the ODRC and the scholarship is renewable for up to a total of 20 hours if the student-inmate maintains a 2.0 GPA. (University 2008). More than one in every 100 adults in America are in jail or prison—a fact that significantly impacts state budgets without delivering a clear return on public safety. According to a report released by the Pew Center on the States’ Public Safety Performance Project, at the start of 2008, 2,319,258 adults were held in American prisons or jails, or one in every 99.1 men and women, according to the study. During 2007, the prison population rose by more than 25,000 inmates. In addition to detailing state and regional prison growth rates, Pew’s report, One in 100: Behind Bars in America 2008, identifies how corrections spending compares to other state investments, why it has increased, and what some states are doing to limit growth in both prison populations and costs while maintaining public safety. Proponents for college education in prison state that the likelihood of an educated inmate returning to prison is far less that one who has not received an education while imprisoned. Prison education initiatives remained a potent weapon against recidivism before the tough-on-crime wave of the early 1990s, when the new Republican Congress in 1994 blocked the incarcerated from receiving Pell Grants, claiming they were “coddling” prisoners and a waste of taxpayer funds (Lombardi 2007). Most states followed suit. Within three years, only eight prison college programs remained in the whole country. “In nearly every case,” wrote Kenneth Mentor, of the University of North Carolina, in 1998, “the individual’s education abruptly ended as funds were denied (Lombardi 2007)”. Funding availability mainly affects the stability of Prison post secondary education programs. The resources available to inmates, and the willingness of community colleges and other postsecondary institutions to provide services is crucial to the success of inmates. Despite these obstacles, inmates on the whole want to secure employment upon release and, if they do, they are less likely to recidivate (Harer, 1994; Sampson & Laub, 1997; Uggen, 2000). A four-state longitudinal survey of inmates after their release from prison found that 26 percent said that they would have liked job training while incarcerated (Visher, LaVigne, & Travis, 2004). A study conducted by the Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control to determine the usefulness of prison literacy and vocational programming found that inmates were more likely to participate in programs if they believed their participation could help them obtain a job after release. The study also found that inmates who enrolled in these programs while incarcerated were more likely to maintain employment and earn slightly higher wages than inmates who did not enroll (U.S. General Accounting Office, 1993). In their 2005 study, Erisman and Contardo concluded thatstate financial support is vital to ensuring widespread access to post secondary education. Moreover, they found that 92 percent of inmates whom earned a degree or certificate were incarcerated in prison systems with large inmate populations. They further found a greater emphasis on short-term vocational degree and certificate programs met with a dependable and substantial state funding source (Erisman & Contardo, 2005). A final source of funding comes from Inmate Welfare funds, which the Department of Corrections collects from the prison canteens and inmate telephone calls. These are strictly relegated funds which can be used only for the direct benefit of inmates. Here enough funds are collected to pay the entire education budget for equipment and supplies which include but are not limited to, books, computers, inmate desks and chairs, and writing and project materials. Compare the recidivism rates in Table 1 of inmates generally with inmates who received prison college degrees: (Stevens & Ward 1997) State Generally With Degree Alabama 35% 1% Maryland 46% 0% New York 45% 26% Texas 36% 10% A psychiatrist who directed the Massachusetts Prison Mental Health Service reports that: “the most successful of all [anti-recidivism programs], and the only one that had been 100 percent effective in preventing recidivism, was the program that allowed inmates to receive a college degree while in prison. Several hundred prisoners in Massachusetts had completed at least a bachelors degree while in prison over a 25-year period, and not one of them had been returned to prison for a new crime.” (Gillan 1998). Further, recidivism rates within three years of release of 55% for the states [California] general prison population and 0% for those who had completed a baccalaureate degree in prison. (Chase & Dickover 1983). In conclusion, there is a tremendous benefit for inmates and society at large when inmates are offered a college education. While society at first blush might react negatively and view the education as a reward for prisoners, the statistics do demonstrate that both the inmates and society benefits from the education. References Bloom, D. (2006). Employment focused programs for ex-prisoners: What have we learned, what are we learning, and where should we go from here? New York: National Poverty Center. Bonsignore, Michele Marianna. Telephonic Interview July 7,13,16. Criminal Defense Attorney, State of New York regarding her client Michael DiGirolomo; Bonsignoreesq@aol.com Bushway, S. D. (1998). The impact of an arrest on the job stability of young white American men. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 35(4), 454-479. J. Chase & R. Dickover, "University Education at Folsom Prison: An Evaluation," 34 Journal of Correctional Education, 3, 92-96, (1983). Coeyman, M. (1998). Maximum security college. Christian Science Monitor. 90, 1-4. Dennis J. Stevens & Charles S. Ward, "College Education and Recidivism: Educating Criminals Meritorious," 48 Journal of Correctional Education, (1997) Education Testing Service. (2007). ETSs Americas perfect storm has converging forces threatening our future [Electronic Version]. Education Testing Service Press Release. Retrieved August 09, 2008 from www.ets.org/stormreport/. Erisman, W., & Contardo, J. B. (2005). Learning to reduce recidivism: A 50-state analysis of postsecondary correctional education policy. Washington, DC: Institute for Higher Education Policy Freeman, R. B. (1996). Why do so many young American men commit crimes and what might we do about it? The Journal of Economic Perspectives, 10(1), 25-42. Flinchum, T., Jones, K., Hevener, G., Ketzenelson, S., & Moore-Gurrera, M. (2006). Correctional program evaluation: Offenders placed on probation or released from prison in fiscal year 2001/02. Raleigh, NC: North Carolina Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission. Gillan, James, "Reflections from a Life Behind Bars: Build Colleges, Not Prisons," Chronicle of Higher Education, 16 October 1998, at B7. Greenberg, E., Dunleavy, E., & Kutner, M. (2007). Literacy behind bars: Results from the 2003 National Assessment of Adult LIteracy Prison Survey. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics: U.S. Department of Education. Harlow, C. W. (2003). Education and correctional populations. Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics Lanzendorfer, J. (2007, Oct. 31). Prisoners Progress. Retrieved August 16, 2008, from Bohemian.com Web site: http://www.bohemian.com/bohemian/10.31.07/news-0744.html Lewin, T. (2001, Nov. 18). Education in prison. New York Times. Op., 2. Lombardi, C. (2007, Apr. 21). Bayview prison-the road to college and beyond. Chelsea Now. 1, 31. Pfeiffer, M. (2000, Nov. 22). Inmate college programs now rare. Poughkeepsie Journal, 50, Retrieved August 07, 2008, from http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/projects/prison/po111700s1.shtml Potempa, P. (2008, May 22). Westville prison inmates celebrate earning college education at ceremony. The Times, nwi.com, p. A1. Riordan, J. (2008, Feb 2). More than one in 100 adults are behind bars. The Pew Report, 4 1-37. University of Ohio (2008). D.D. Second Chance Scholarship. Retrieved August 15, 2008, From Ohio University Web site: http://www-sfa.chubb.ohiou.edu/cgi-win/scholar.exe/DETAILS/3893. Read More