Should NYS Fund College Education For Inmates? [POLL]
Back in 1995 Gov. George Pataki took away the funding directed towards inmate education programs. Now, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced that NYS will once again fund college education for inmates.
Cuomo has one major goal in mind: cut down recidivism. Recidivism in this case is when the state releases an inmate and the now ex-convict returns to their old behaviors. People tend to stick to what they know, and most criminals only know a life of crime.
At the cost of $60,000 a year, repeat customers can be very expensive. Cuomo's plan is to tag on another $5,000 for a total cost to the taxpayers of $65,000, but with a lower recidivism percentage, the state should save money in the long run. So by educating the inmates, Cuomo hopes to give them the tools to be a productive and successful citizens, with options outside a life of crime. A very noble gesture.
On the other side of the argument, will enough inmates make the right decisions with their education in order to save the taxpayers money? That could be a big gamble on a very noble gesture.
This move has stirred some strong opinions, and now we want to hear yours. Take our poll below and let us know your thoughts in the comments.