BLITZ KRIEG PUBLISHING 

 Should Inmates Earn Diplomas in Prison?

By Donna Gundle-Krieg March 9, 2009

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Should education be made available to prison inmates?

Some say that our correctional institutions are already too expensive, and that taxpayer money should not be spent on educating prisoners. 

However, studies show that for every dollar spent on prison-based education, there is a

$3 - $5 savings to the taxpayers.

“The more education an inmate has, the lower the recidivism rate,” according to a report by the Principals’ Partnership.

49% of repeat offenders do not have a high school diploma.   

Prisons around the country are partnering with charter, public, and private institutions to offer inmates a General Education Development Diploma (GED), which is equivalent to a high school diploma.    

According to the Education Report, 270 inmates in a Michigan county jail have earned GED's through International Academy, a charter public school that operates within the facility.

The school has a waiting list, and students must pass tests in science, math, reading, writing and social studies in order to receive a diploma.

Current enrollees range in age from 15 to 48.

The school's annual budget is about $900,000, with revenue coming from enrollment-based state funding as well as grants, according to the Port Huron  Times Herald.

For more information, see:  

Research Brief from the Principals’ Partnership: What are the educational programs available to students without a high school diploma who are in a correctional facility?

Program helps inmates earn GED

Stories by Donna Gundle-Krieg:

Education in the United States

Education in Michigan

Books With Stories by Donna Gundle-Krieg

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