Education

Judge Mathis, star of the syndicated court show named after him, grew up in the housing projects in Detroit. He was involved in gangs. He spent time in jail. How did he pull himself out? After learning that his mother had cancer, Mathis decided it was time to change the course of his life. He was offered probation, if he entered a GED program. He didn’t stop at a GED. He went on to college and law school, and he became the youngest superior court judge ever to serve in Michigan.

Judge Mathis’s story is an exceptional one. Over one third of prison inmates–37 percent in 2003–do not have a high school diploma or a GED. With a prison record and no diploma, few potential jobs are available for these prisoners on release. In 2002, the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics reported that 67% of inmates released from state prisons in 1994 committed at least one serious crime in the three years following their release. A recent study suggests; GED education can be a positive step for both inmates and overcrowded prison systems.

John Nuttall authored the study “The Effect of Earning a GED on Recidivism Rates,” which includes data on three groups of inmates in the New York State Department of Correctional Services. The study tracked inmates who earned a GED while incarcerated, inmates who already had a high school diploma or GED, and inmates who did not earn a GED while incarcerated. Inmates who earned their GED were significantly less likely to return to custody within three years. Offenders under the age of 21 who earned their GED were 14% less likely to return to prison within three years, while prisoners over 21 were 5% less likely to return to prison after earning a GED. A copy of Nuttall’s study is available here: http://essentialed.org/research.htm

GED programs are not new in correctional facilities, but correctional facilities often have limited funding, and many inmates do not function well in traditional school environments. Technology-based educational tools have vast potential benefits for correctional facility environments. Multi-media educational software offers learners the ability to work at their own pace, appeals to multiple learning styles, and can be enjoyable and involving. Software-based GED preparation programs are also inexpensive to implement.

The potential return on an investment of $50 to $200 per adult learner for a software-based GED prep program could be significant, considering the costs of re-incarcerating a prisoner. The U.S. Department of Justice reports an average cost of $24,440 a year per Federal prisoner, and in some state prison systems, the costs are even higher.

Recidivism doesn’t only mean more crowded prisons and a more costly society. More crimes are being committed, leading to a higher crime rate. The GED is only one step to former inmates’ success after prison, but it is an important one. Technology makes GED education affordable and effective.

Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/online-education-articles/the-benefits-of-ged-programs-for-correctional-institutions-2304889.html#ixzz0n5mFXIfn
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