By Christopher Zoukis
While combating idleness and restlessness in America’s prisons is certainly necessary to avoid disruptions and violence, how this is accomplished is up for debate.
Lawmakers in New York State said no to a proposal this month, during the last legislative session, made by Governor Andrew Cuomo that would allocate $1 million a year to allow prisoners to earn a college degree. This proposal sparked a political firestorm. While this proposal was to reduce recidivism rates upon release from custody, the message was clear.
Lawmakers say they don’t want taxpayer dollars to go towards educating prisoners, saying that their constituents were struggling to pay tuition for their kids. However, from 2009 to 2014, a contract with St. Louis-based Swank Motion Pictures totaled approximately $1 million with the newest contract, signed off on by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, one that will run until March 31, 2019, totaling approximately $894,000. In fact, for more than two decades, New York State has been paying to show feature films to prisoners.
While study after study, even several conducted in the New York correctional system, indicate that educating prisoners is the only reliable means of reducing recidivism, Corey Ball and other New York politicians have sponsored online petitions like “Say ‘No’ to Free College for Prisoners,” and “Hell No to Attica University.” All have declined to comment on the subject of educating prisoners versus movies as therapy.
Sources: www.timesunion.com
Originally published in Prison Legal News, August 10, 2016.
Published Aug 10, 2016 by Christopher Zoukis, JD, MBA | Last Updated by Christopher Zoukis, JD, MBA on Oct 24, 2021 at 9:37 am
