Rewarding Criminals for Crime

After reading Erika’s blog entitled “Paying Criminals For Their Crimes,” I would also have to agree with her.  It’s absolutely ridiculous that these youth offenders are being compensated for work.  It’s almost as if they are being rewarded for committing crime.  We don’t pay adults in prisons for work, so you kind of have to wonder why on earth would we do not do the same for youth offenders.  How are they any different?  Both committed crime.  Maybe the crime was not as severe but indeed a crime was still committed.  At that, I’ve learned that these earnings are tax free!  Offenders are using these funds to pay for things such as child support, court costs, fines, as well as other remarkable dues.  I also agree with how she states that these young offenders should learn from their mistakes.  They shouldn’t just be given a slap on the wrist.  Realize the mistake you made and make sure it doesn’t repeat itself. 

We are over here having severe budget cuts within our schools to honest hard working teachers when instead the budget cuts should be within our correctional facilities.  It seems there is a lot of unnecessary spending around these areas. 

Texas Spends Millions on College Education for Inmates

It honestly shouldn’t even be a debate as to whether or not the college-in-prison program should see some sort of budget cut, or be wiped out completely from Texas expenses.  Personally, I am all for Texas lawmakers to completely remove the program.  If it can at all protect some portion of education funds, then by all means, let‘s get rid of it.

After reading an article online entitled, “Texas spends millions on college for prison inmates”, found in the Austin American Statesman, I learned that for the past ten years Texas has spent more than $26.9 million dollars on higher education for Texas inmates.  And of this $26.9 million, Texas has only received $4.7 million dollars reimbursed from ex-convicts.  Yes, the whole idea of the program is for good towards these felon-students, but what about good for non-felon students who are desperately wanting help to pay for their education tuition? What about those who have never committed a crime?  Why not help those in need who actually have a clean record?  Instead of giving funding to those who originally decided to rob banks, sell drugs, and/or assault people, let’s give a lending hand to those who have a better chance of paying back the state once their schooling is finished.  According to the article, state records have shown that of twenty-two thousand felons who signed up for the program and agreed to pay back the state, there were only a little under seven thousand felons (6,630 to be exact) who have repaid the state in full. 

Yes, statistically more inmates who have participated in the college-in-prison program have a lower recidivism rate, but it really isn’t fair to those who didn’t put themselves in this type of situation in the first place.  Let’s help those who choose to get an education to have a well respected profession, a legal profession at that, than those who chose not to in the first place.