Educating inmates apparently pays off, but draws some criticism

When Jeremy Moose gets out of prison in 2012, the state will have spent more than $611,000 for his 13-year stint behind the bars - plus an additional $1,560 in waived tuition fees for his college education.

[Freedom Fighter]

Spending money on education early in children's lives seems better than spending more on education plus "room & board" later in life.

Until the prison population starts shrinking, this state is doomed for further tax burdens.

The "cause" of crime needs more attention now that mere incarceration has shown to only increase prison population growth, with crime still well above acceptable standards for law abiding citizens.

[corruption]

Educating anyone benifits society as a whole. And, if $1600 can prevent future crimes and save the state $600,000 who could argue with this? The people who receive the $600,000 that is who. The county of SAn bernardino is a police state that relies mainly on federal and state funds to function. the population of san berdo county which has less than two million people incarcerates more people than any other county, and most countries. Los angeles county has almost ten million people and boasts one of the most dangerous cities in the united states,(compton? or south central) and incarcerates less people than the most corrupt county in the U S., yep, san berdo..... Los angeles has jobs, industry, educated people, and a pleasant enviornment to live in; unlike the toilet that a police state creates.

[Henry Aftin]

Don't fall for this nonsense or the phony numbers and scripted answers these meat puppets are giving you. This is where your taxes are being wasted at. It does'nt work plain and simple, the inmates will be back and you will have to pay for them then too!

[American fool]

So that's how I could have gotten my degree without student loans. Boy, do I feel foolish. No good deed goes unpunished. (sigh)

[circumspective]

now now....any diligence has its reward...yes even from behind prison walls/fences....where are u in life? at home playing video games, watching illicit website/video material eating cheese-its and blaming someone else for where you're at in life while someone actually achieves something like a degree even fromn inside prison? you are an example to others, even to yourself, whether u like it or not so get up and put time in where it'll count

[JOE BACA IS CACA]

The guy (Jermey Moose) looks like a fricken deranged lunatic whose just waiting to get out and prey on society again. What a joke! Giving a (meaningless) degree to a convict is like putting an Armani suit on a pig.

These animals should be doing hard time in the desert somewhere, breaking rocks or tarring our roads and not sitting in an air-conditioned cell watching Jerry Springer and getting 3 meals a day.

NO wonder California is dead a-s-s- broke. We can thank all the socialist Democrats for this.

[hecnut69]

I dont think jail is punishment enough any more, people just come out better educated in crime and now have a multitude of contacts to aid them in, as they see it, bigger better crime sprees. Real consiquence is what they need. 3rd strickers should be fried. Sorry, im all out of patience!

[Pissed Off Citizen]

I am sooooooooooooooooooooooo pissed off at the fact that I am a mother of three that is a hard working woman. Can't afford to sent my own children to college, just lost our home. Went from paying for a house that was someday going to be ours to renting a house. And these people that commeted crimes and are there to pay for this things they did are getting treated better than any of us out here, trying to make a living. And to top if off, my tax payers money is giving them everything they have in there. I am sorry that their in there, but come on, sometimes it feels like we're the ones doing time out here in the real world. It's just not right.

[AgentZ]

Ok, so they use our tax money to get a criminal an education, no wonder California is flat broke. They should not give them free education; they should be giving them a form of a student loan to pay for their education then they can repay the money back once they get out of jail and find a decent job. Most people going to colleges and universities have student loans, this money has to be paid back, and I see no reason why these criminals don’t do the same. If they want an education, make them pay for it!

[Sue]

Wow, no wonder criminals don't mind going to prison....

[This is not right]

Obey the law and struggle to get by and maybe take some college classes, If you can...

Become a convict and college is free......

We need to check our priority's!!!!

[MEXIFORNICATED]

We can thank all of the liberals in Suckramento that have sucked all of our taxes bone dry right into BK. Yet Mexifornians vote these cockroaches into office every election. Mexifornians should be ashamed of themselves.

[Sue]

AgentZ wrote:

Ok, so they use our tax money to get a criminal an education, no wonder California is flat broke. They should not give them free education; they should be giving them a form of a student loan to pay for their education then they can repay the money back once they get out of jail and find a decent job. Most people going to colleges and universities have student loans, this money has to be paid back, and I see no reason why these criminals don’t do the same. If they want an education, make them pay for it!

Couldn't agree more, make them pay for it when they are out of prison, give them some kind of deferment plan. The truth is the state probably knows they may have a hard time finding a job, even with a degree, so all fees are waived, but lets give them an education anyways.

[Dumb Law Abiding Citizen]

American fool wrote:

So that's how I could have gotten my degree without student loans. Boy, do I feel foolish. No good deed goes unpunished.(sigh)

I feel the same. I remember reading a few years ago in this paper how inmates at Chino were getting training for underwater welding. Here I am struggling while these aholes were going to get good jobs when they got out. Damn I was doing it all wrong this whole time obeying the law and getting no where. I should rob someone, get caught and learn a trade.

[TimetoGet Real]

The truth is we should probably require all inmates to have jobs and attend classes every day as part of earning their keep.

But we do have a problem in our society with rewarding people who screw up and penalizing people who are successful by making them pay to give free services to those who screw up.

All because a bunch of bleeding heart liberals who don't believe in God and want to slam those who do have decided that my priority, to be civilized, should be taking care of other people's responsibilities first. Then I can have what's left to take care of my own family.

What an incentive to be successful! I think I might just become a screw up if we become a socialist country.

[Just Do It]

What a bunch of bellyachers. The cost of these inmates’s education is a nothing compared to the overall cost of incarceration. Why shouldn’t they get an education? We reduce the rate of recidivism, we save money. Years ago, I went to college and got my degree. It wasn’t easy, cost a lot of money and a lot of time. But it was well worth the sacrifice. Look, if you’re having a tough life, instead of pointing your finger at someone else, look at yourself. Don’t blame someone else because you can’t afford to send your own kids to college. You want to get training in underwater welding, then go do it. NOBODY IS STOPPING YOU!

[starshine]

I have a daughter- in- law who is trying to get her degree's, with her own money and raising a child too. She never been arrested, why is those who don't obey the law have the right to go to college for almost nothing???
Thees inmates suppost to be serving there time with punishment not, with privilege's!
What are we sending our children!

[Pike]

The message is clear. The State of California rewards criminals with a free education and punishes hard working, law abiding citizens with hideous taxes to subsidize this madness.

[anonymous]

You can thank the Chaffey College teachers, too. A few of them think this is a GREAT idea! Even one of Manson's followers (murderers) is getting her degree at the women's prison. I wonder if the teachers from Chaffey College will be present at her next parole hearing in support of her being released. Perhaps they wouldn't mind a Manson murderer being their new neighbor. After all, she's a better person now right? Hell, give her a job at Chaffey!

[TINMA]

Don't complain if they go back to prison then!