Introduction:
The increased number of prisoners has resulted in increased numbers of released prisoners seeking to reenter mainstream society. This is creating a major social and public policy problem in the United States. People enter prisons poorly equipped to be productive members of society and they typically leave prison in worse shape than they enter it. The problem of recidivism is partially due to this poor preparation for the world outside of prison. Ex-offenders cannot find or hold jobs and before long many renew a life of crime and are returned to jail. (Getting a second chance, 2003)
The difficulties that inmates face on release showed up in a report last year by the California State Legislative Analyst's Office: 85 percent of released prisoners in California are drug or alcohol abusers, 70 percent to 80 percent are still jobless after a year, 50 percent are illiterate and 10 percent are homeless. Nationwide, the figures are similar. Allen J. Beck of the Bureau of Justice Statistics, a branch of the Justice Department, said 82 percent of people on parole who are returned to prison are drug or alcohol abusers, 40 percent are unemployed, about 75 percent have not completed high school and 19 percent are homeless. (Butterfield, 2000)
Simply attending school behind bars reduces the likelihood of re-incarceration by 23 percent, according to a 2001 study conducted for the U.S. Department of Education. Graduates of vocational education programs here in our state are 40 percent less likely than non-graduates to commit another crime, according to the Washington Institute for Public Policy. Graduates also are far more likely to support their families, pay restitution and taxes, and become more productive, responsible members of society.
Here's something else to think about: It costs about $25,000 to jail one inmate for one year. In........
