America’s prison system is extremely flawed and broken. The incarceration rates are higher, per capita, than any other country, people of color are disproportionately imprisoned, and the recidivism rate is above 70 percent.
Incarceration rates have increased dramatically since 1970 when the War on Drugs began. This is also a large factor in why there is a disproportionate number of people of color. This is not because people of color commit more crimes or possess drugs more often, but because America’s law enforcement and criminal justice system is extremely biased.
This information cannot totally be proven with statistics, but I believe it is very obvious to see the racism in our criminal justice system. What can be proven with numbers and statistics, however, is that the recidivism rate in America is extremely high.
Recidivism is just the fancy term for when people who leave prison go to prison again later down the line. So to restate, America’s recidivism rate is above 70 percent. Compared to other countries, that is extremely high: Norway’s is 20 percent, Australia’s is 39 percent, and France’s is around 45 percent. A general theme in every country is that the longer someone is in prison, the more likely they are to be re-incarcerated.
Recidivism rates are higher when people are in prison longer because they have been out of touch with society for so long that they can be unappealing for employers. It can also be difficult for ex-prisoners to find stable housing and reconnect with their families.
The top two reasons that America’s recidivism rate is so high are that prisoners have a lack of education and skills. Prisoners with a masters degree or higher have almost 0 percent recidivism rate, but people with less than a high school education have a 55 percent recidivism rate.
95 percent of incarcerated people will reenter society so it is vital that these people have skills they need to become employed or get housing so they will not return to crime as a means to merely get by. According to a study done by Correctional Education Association, prison education will reduce recidivism by almost 30 percent.
If we begin educating prisoners, the prison system would become more cost effective. Correctional education has been shown to be twice as cost effective as re-incarcerating a person. A study by the Department of Policy Studies at the University of California at Los Angeles found that investing one million dollars in prison education will prevent more than 600 crimes, whereas that same one million invested in incarceration will only prevent 350 crimes.
Education programs provide prisoners with skills to use and something that consumes time which can help reduce violence, both in and out of prison. A survey of an Indiana prison showed a 75 percent decrease in infractions in people who were also taking educational courses.
Education is vital to reentry for prisoners because it can help them get a job which can help them get housing, a car, and they are considerably less likely to commit another crime. If we start providing prisoners with skills and education that can be used in the real world, they will have a head start to a better life outside of prison.
Focusing on prison education gives prisoners more opportunities once out of prison, is a cost-effective use of tax dollars, and reduces violence.
Emma Farina
Opinions Columnist
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