Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Educating the Incarcerated: A Worthy State Investment Broadly, how does funding allocation affect participation and educational outcomes of adult education programs in California prisons?Specifically, does funding allocation for education programs in currently operational California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) public prisons influence enrollment numbers and educational attainment among incarcerated individuals between the fiscal years 2021-2022 and 2023-2024?To answer this question, I compare the educational program budget at all 32 open public prison institutions in California throughout the fiscal years 2021-2022, 2022-2023, and 2023-2024 to explore the allocations' impact on enrollment numbers and completion of high school diplomas, GEDs, and higher education degrees.I find that these program-specific budgets have a positive correlation with both average classroom enrollment and average educational achievement over the most recent three fiscal years, and I conclude with a discussion of what this means for the future of education in California's prison system moving forward.The implications of these findings are far-reaching.By prioritizing education and allocating sufficient funding, the CDCR can enhance the rehabilitative potential of incarceration and reduce recidivism rates.Increased access to quality education programs can provide incarcerated individuals with the skills and knowledge necessary for a successful release, ultimately contributing to a safe society. 1 CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCENationwide studies have proven that education programs for incarcerated individuals in the United States are crucial to public safety as they offer a structured pathway to effective rehabilitation (Esperian, 2024).Specific to California, CDCR-operated prisons have attempted to follow the country's trend by providing access to various learning opportunities in which participants develop critical thinking abilities, enhance literacy levels, and gain technical skills ("Evaluating the effectiveness…," n.d.).To maximize the potential of public prison education, California must invest in these programs to ensure that incarcerated individuals have access to quality education, qualified instructors, and necessary resources.This initiative also encourages education, which has the potential to further influence conversations around criminal justice reform, rehabilitation, and strategies for enhancing public safety post-release as California has begun its regression on rehabilitative measures in 2024.In 2005, Arnold Schwarzenegger, former California governor, championed rehabilitation for the incarcerated by changing the name "California Department of Corrections" to "California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation" and implementing various transformative programs within prisons (Harris, Martin, & Cremin, 2024).The decision to make such a change was a step towards creating a more progressive society focused on healing those who came into contact with California's criminal system.Despite former Governor Schwarzenegger's reformist attitude, it took nearly a decade to legally establish rehabilitation as the purpose of incarceration in public prisons.With AB-1104 Corrections and rehabilitation: sentencing (2023-2024), the California legislature finally aligned CDCR's mission with its name.Furthering the agenda for the reconstruction of the state's penal system, California passed SB-1391: Community colleges: inmate education programs: computation of apportionments
Author: Corral, Jewel
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7000074148
FWCI:
Cites:
Cited by:
Related to: