Dive Brief:
- Beginning in July, prisoners in the state of Washington will have access to state-funded associate degree programs and an expanded slate of vocational certificates, Campus Technology reports.
- Economists in the state found a $20 return on investment for every $1 spent on correctional education, and research shows a 43% drop in recidivism for those who receive an education while incarcerated.
- The law doesn't provide for additional funding, instead it expands on already-existing relationships with community colleges in the state and instructs the Department of Corrections to use its existing budget to fund the program. It is not available to those on death row or those who already have four-year degrees.
Dive Insight:
While it may seem odd that a free education program would be mandated without additional funding, if there is the return on investment projected, and with the savings on would-be repeat offenders, it is not a stretch to imagine the money could already exist in the budget. Many institutions are already entering into partnerships to provide access to courses for prisoners, and the federal government last year announced a pilot to allow Pell grants for students in prison.
Beyond prison education, however, the research behind the Washington law clearly articulates social and economic impact of higher education that savvy leaders will leverage, even outside of Washington, in their efforts to advocate for increasing or continuing public support in the enterprise. And, particularly for public institutions, if leaders can demonstrate ways they are examining their own operations to look for places to save money and improve the efficiency of operations, this demonstration coupled with the data on social and economic impact should make for an easy sell.