Speak Up: Education over incarceration: Arizona's new path to reentry

Independent Newsmedia

Arizona is one of five states joining a new Community of Practice to reimagine how postsecondary education can better serve incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students to reduce recidivism, the Independent’s Stacy Mantle reports. Here’s what Independent readers had to say on social media:

From Facebook

• “Shared with a friend who works to reduce the recidivism rate. Thanks for educating us with your work!” — Cindie Hubiak
• “How about getting an education you fund yourself after you serve your time? Inmates take up too much taxpayer dollars already. Actions have consequences.” — Cindy Scanlan

From NextDoor

• “It’s obvious that anything we can do to improve the chances of those who have been incarcerated never returning to prison is going to benefit them as well as society! Our system has been broken for quite some time, and it would be beneficial to put forth an effort in helping those who are Incarcerated to learn some good coping and trade skills. It will give them the ability to communicate effectively and to allow for personal growth and potentially help them heal relationships that have been broken from past choices! God knows it’s a blessing to have second chances in life!” — Sarah A.
• “I’ve been making an investment in public school systems for over 50 years by paying property taxes. Early education is and should be the key to solving this situation long-term.” — Christina Pettro
• “Will Arizona really be serious about it? Arizona loves to incarcerate for lengthy sentences. Kingman prisons are supposed to put their inmates in a reintegration program before release. Instead, they drop inmates off in the middle of Phoenix. Private prisons, incarceration and court-ordered therapy are money-making businesses in Arizona and the U.S. Justice reform is needed first. Lighter sentences.” — Marina F.
• “This is a positive program; hopefully it will continue.” — Alicia Zalmudia-Caswell
• “Educating our prisoners is an excellent idea. We need to give them all the help they didn’t get before landing in prison.” — Judith Smith
• “The high school diploma is an archaic relic. The education system needs to make it possible for families to tailor their students’ education according to their natural strengths. Dual college/vocational school credits and high school credit need to become standard and not for the rich, gifted or privileged top tier of schools. Businesses, universities and trades need to work with all styles of education to educate future professionals. Some very specific military branch jobs need to be opened to enlist without a high school diploma or GED; they should have the opportunity to earn that in the military. This is to help a small percentage of underprivileged, wayward, ex-gang, or foster and homeless teens to get off the street and onto a career path that has the potential for higher education. Education in prison is great, but it has to include life skills, conflict resolution, financial management and parenting, otherwise you have a 30- to 60-year-old with a diploma, a record and the same bad habits. I am entirely offended that we still deal with high school diplomas.” — Skyla Edwards

From NewsBreak

• “The inmates should work to pay for their own education. Incarceration is not a college. It’s a dangerous prison.” — Peace
• “I feel a GED is valuable for incarcerated persons; it’s a start at least. Some inmates have degrees and are very intelligent, even doctors have committed crimes serious enough to get locked up. The DOC supervises all kinds of people from all walks of life, no different from the people you see going about daily life in the ‘free world.’” — NismoAR
• “Are they going to pay? If I went to college or trade school, I would have to pay.” — Jesus Estrada
• “There are grants for trade schools for the general public. You just have to do the work to get them! Plus, scholarships and loans; you don’t necessarily have to pay when you’re not incarcerated and the fact of the matter is that if we aren’t helping inmates to find meaningful gainful employment when released, they may reoffend! The way we’ve been handling the problem for the entire existence of this nation clearly isn’t working as we are the most incarcerated nation on the entire planet.” — Louis Baize
• “What about college or trades? I would support this. I think it’s a positive start.” — Henry
• “They make you get your GED in prison and if you don’t have it, they only pay you 10 cents an hour to put on your books. A lot of inmates never had a job in their entire life and they make you work.” — Jeremy Garrison