Prison education is one of the most prominent and widely debated topics in recent history. The United States spends around $80 billion a year keeping individuals locked up and has the world’s highest incarceration rate (ACLU, 2017). With the current presidential administration’s promises of tough-on-crime policies, the cost of jailing offenders will only increase. Lawmakers should focus on ways to inhibit mass incarceration rather than adding to it. One preventative measure to reduce the amount of inmates is to implement education in prisons.The lack of education within prisons has long influenced recidivism rates, an issue which can be connected to institutional anomie theory, reintegrative shaming theory, and labeling theory. In order to prevent the creation of a repeat nonviolent offender, better programs must be established in prisons, such as expanding libraries, and implementing better teachers and classes to improve education and literacy.
Institutional anomie theory explains that crime is a result of the overemphasis on economic institutions (Olaghere, 2017). Through the privatization of many prisons, it can be argued that they are treated on an economic basis rather …show more content…
Although implementing educational programs in prisons may cost more in the short term, it will reduce the prison incarceration rate in the future and, consequently, it will save both the state and federal government thousands of dollars a year. Current economic policies used to argue against education in prisons fail to take into consideration the long-term economic effects of incarceration. Incarceration is not cost effective and does not work in reducing the recidivism rates on a nationwide level. When looking at the direct taxpayer cost, it is stated that “for every dollar invested in a prison education program it will ultimately save taxpayers between $4 and $5 in reincarceration costs” (Westervelt,
Institutional anomie theory explains that crime is a result of the overemphasis on economic institutions (Olaghere, 2017). Through the privatization of many prisons, it can be argued that they are treated on an economic basis rather …show more content…
Although implementing educational programs in prisons may cost more in the short term, it will reduce the prison incarceration rate in the future and, consequently, it will save both the state and federal government thousands of dollars a year. Current economic policies used to argue against education in prisons fail to take into consideration the long-term economic effects of incarceration. Incarceration is not cost effective and does not work in reducing the recidivism rates on a nationwide level. When looking at the direct taxpayer cost, it is stated that “for every dollar invested in a prison education program it will ultimately save taxpayers between $4 and $5 in reincarceration costs” (Westervelt,