The national economic crisis has made earning a college education a more important investment than ever. Less jobs mean more competition, and typically the more schooling one has, the higher their income will be and the greater security will be had against unemployment. However, a college education is also more expensive than ever. College tuition in the public sector has surged over 500% but financial aid coverage has slowed.12 This is a major crisis and on the minds of students and graduates nationwide. That is why when Andrew Cuomo announced his plan to provide free college-level education to ten state prisons, there was quite an uproar. Many were outraged at the idea of law-abiding citizens struggling to pay for something that criminals are receiving for free. However, New Yorkers have to stop being petty and look at the big picture. Andrew Cuomo's plan will not only translate into significant savings for taxpayers, but also reduce recidivism and contribute to the long-term safety of communities in which former prisoners return. .
New York has a recidivism rate of 39.9%, which means that after an incarcerated person is released, that person has a 39.9% chance of committing another crime and returning to prison within three years. This is slightly below the national average of 43%.3 It costs taxpayers approximately $60,000 per year per inmate, which adds up to about $3.6 billion annually.4 What Governor Cuomo is suggesting is that New York State taxpayers fund a free college-level education to prisoners, allowing them to earn a degree in two or three years. This would cost taxpayers $5000 per inmate. 5 According to a study "Three State Recidivism Study" by the Correctional Education Association, providing correctional education lowered long term recidivism by 29%, which would lower New York's recidivism rate to an all time low of 10.9%.6 Based on the number of current inmates, if New York managed to cut their recidivism rates by only 10%, that would mean $42 million dollars annually in savings.
