Dear Alan
In response to your question, "Why higher education?"
I would argue that higher education is the key to keeping
people from needing to be put in prison. It is quite clear
to me that we do not currently have a highly educated
prison population; in fact, I believe that I have read
that as much as 50% of all inmates in state pens have less
than a high school education. Therefore, my conclusion
is that education in general but more specifically higher
education is the key to limited the number of individuals
who are imprisoned during their lifetimes.
How exactly to spend this money would be open
for debate either now or after the amendment were ratified.
(It would seem that if it were a Republican proposal
afterwards would be just fine but if it were a Democratic
proposal we would surely have to outline everything in
advance :) Just a side note sorry) But it is my clear
belief that increase access to higher ed would lessen
the current burden of prison inmates in the long run.
Essentially I am asking for both a short run
and long run solution to crime and I believe that higher
ed offers that based on casual evidence that I believe
exists. I am confident that sociological research would
support the fact that people with a college degree are much
less likely to end up in a state pen.
Thank you for your question as it gave me an
opportunity to expand on this idea.
Loren Rice
The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
"The real solution to welfare and crime is jobs and
education" -- Jessee Jackson 1994 speaking to William
Bennett
