Should prisoners have the right to education in prison?

[buttons]

points to consider:

- even with education, employers may be hesitant to employ an offender. the education may also not be good enough as there are other skills to be taken into account ie social skills which prisoners may lack. is this a waste of money and should it be used on other reoffending techniques?

- however, prisoners may be able to set up their own business and not have to expose their criminal status. is it fair they get this head start without having to pay for education unlike non-criminals who have to pay for the prisoners education with their tax money? should prisoners pay or do chores for it instead?

- without getting skills in prison it can be hard to do so once released. isn't it better to try reduce reoffending by ensuring they have the opportunity for a stable life? those who have little to zero education may finally find something productive to do with their life instead of crime. studies have claimed that prisoners who do not take part in education are three times more likely to be reconvicted than those that do.

- often prisoners dropped out of school without qualifications so obviously education is an important role, should we focus on the education and preventing within schools in the first place instead?

[Cixso]

Human rights. I could just leave this post as this but I will go into slight details

If we take away education, how do these criminals learn different? They will be released with no education, a criminal record, depression and no moral compass. Therefore they are much more likely to commit an offense again. Give them an education, some will put it to good use, some won't. It then begs the question of should we "kill" the persistent offenders? I think we should, but that's for another debate.

But the end of the day, we have human rights. Everybody has a right to education regardless, just means the tax payer has to fork out more money. Is it fair? Life isn't fair. Pisses me off knowing I'm paying some 18 year old spotty faced chav's job seekers.

[CaptainAce]

Criminals need to be educated for when they are released otherwise as said above they are likely to re-offend. They make mistakes just like we do. Some learn and some don't. It also keeps their minds occupied from whatever addiction they may have and gives them something to aim for. Sometimes it even gives them a little bit of hope.

[Narnat,]

I think if they are willing to get an education doesn't that count for something? To show that they're wanting to make some sort of change to their life and to learn and delelope new skills that they may no of had? - You can't kick people when they're down and when they are trying and I think that goes for them as well. I feel like when people are trying to change and make better of themselfs it doesn't help when you have the negativity around it. How can you expect a prisoner to change if they're not being given the resorces to help change them? They'll just do what they know and no doubt re-offend.

[LiquidLuck.]

I guess the education being optional, those who choose to receive it should pay for it, even if the cost isn't as high as in a private school (obviously) it could just be the enough to be affordable and help to pay the teacher, at least part of his pay.

[Kyle]

Sometimes the only reason people turn to crime is because they haven't been given the right opportunities to achieve within the mainstream society's education system. It's not always the offender's fault that they've fallen in with the wrong crowd and taken a deviant path to gain status so I don't see why, should they want a second chance, anybody should be allowed to deny them a chance to learn something useful.

Quite a number of prisoners have been shown to have learning difficulties of some sort that have affected their ability to cope in education and work situations in the past so to offer help with such issues can't be bad at all, can it? If it's going to better prepare them for life on the outside and lower recidivism then it's worth a shot...

Not sure why people would complain about paying their taxes for educating prisoners. Who cares if they've committed and offence or two? They're willing to change. If they're willing to try such methods of rehabilitation then you as the tax payer shouldn't be so reluctant to fork out, it's going to make our society better after all! It's not a waste of money and can of course be combined with other techniques like social skills training, anger management, etc.

I do think there should be a few cut-off points, though. For example drug users who offend just to feed their habit aren't likely to benefit and should be offered a different form of rehabilitation. It's difficult to determine whether it's going to help an offender in for a short stint (6 months, for example) since that's not really long enough and if they like the programme they might even reoffend to get back on it!

[Inseriousity.]

I wouldn't say it's a right necessarily. Commit a crime and I think a country has the right to punish you greater than the right to an education. However, as already mentioned, rehabilitation is a major part of why we have prisons in the first place and educating criminals with new skills to help them have the best chance of that means that it'd be a bit stupid not to offer it. I suppose the question we should really be asking is whether the education we're providing is good enough. If the aim is rehabilitation but the reoffending rate remains high (something like 55% I think), is the education system in prisons good enough or is it something else altogether.

[peteyt]

As already mentioned I think if people want to change they should be given the support to do so. I watched Gordan Ramsay behind bars where he did something like this, teaching inmates to cook to give them actual skills they could use outside of prison and after the show he was trying I believe to get his idea rolled nationally. Some did revert back to their old selves but I think a few stuck with it and people ate the stuff knowing who had made it with Cafe Nero actually stocking their cakes.

At the end of the day prisons will continue to get over crowded without some rehabilitation program. Obviously some people won't change they don't want to but everyone deserves a second chance and if they don't get taught they'll just repeat it.

[Aiden]

I think it could help a few people who want to get back on to the straight and narrow. Although a lot wouldn't use these skills. Dome might even try, and when they return to the real world, they go back to the same people. I'm not saying its all bad, but could be a waste. And why should people who have wronged get free stuff for doing so?

Although if you think about it, if it was your family member you'd want them to have the education and the options. But that just gets it more personal. My Dad is in prison, and the moment, I don't feel he should get any support. He's not done anything to help today's community, and I highly doubt he pay any taxes.

It could be used for certain people who have earned this option?

[Catchy]

Sometimes the only reason people turn to crime is because they haven't been given the right opportunities to achieve within the mainstream society's education system. It's not always the offender's fault that they've fallen in with the wrong crowd and taken a deviant path to gain status so I don't see why, should they want a second chance, anybody should be allowed to deny them a chance to learn something useful.

Quite a number of prisoners have been shown to have learning difficulties of some sort that have affected their ability to cope in education and work situations in the past so to offer help with such issues can't be bad at all, can it? If it's going to better prepare them for life on the outside and lower recidivism then it's worth a shot...

Not sure why people would complain about paying their taxes for educating prisoners. Who cares if they've committed and offence or two? They're willing to change. If they're willing to try such methods of rehabilitation then you as the tax payer shouldn't be so reluctant to fork out, it's going to make our society better after all! It's not a waste of money and can of course be combined with other techniques like social skills training, anger management, etc.

I do think there should be a few cut-off points, though. For example drug users who offend just to feed their habit aren't likely to benefit and should be offered a different form of rehabilitation. It's difficult to determine whether it's going to help an offender in for a short stint (6 months, for example) since that's not really long enough and if they like the programme they might even reoffend to get back on it!

This. Also I bet the majority of the forum don't even pay tax yet lol.