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Cuomo's Latest -- Free College education for Felons

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fasteddie Grand Master

fasteddie

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Cuomo wants to bring back college courses for convicts in prison Prison inmates are eligible for mainly high school-level courses. They used to be eligible for state college tuition assistance money until the program was stopped by then-Gov. Pataki in 1995. Under Cuomo’s plan to provide associate’s and bachelor's degrees behind bars, the state will fund college programs in 10 prisons. Comments (24) By Glenn Blain AND Kenneth Lovett / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Sunday, February 16, 2014, 11:46 PM
 

More New York prison inmates could done graduation caps like this one if Gov. Cuomo starts college courses for inmates back up. He says having associate's and bachelor's degrees prevent ex-cons from breaking the law again.

ALBANY — Hoping to cut down on recidivism rates, Gov. Cuomo on Sunday announced a plan for New York state to again begin funding college courses for inmates.

"Giving men and women in prison the opportunity to earn a college degree costs our state less and benefits our society more," Cuomo said.

Cuomo made the announcement at a church event in Albany tied to the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus. Currently, New York’s inmate population is 49.2% African American, 24% Hispanic and 24.1% white.

Prison inmates are eligible for mainly high school-level courses. They used to be eligible for state college tuition assistance money until the program was stopped by then-Gov. Pataki in 1995.

A small program known as the Bard Prison Initiative, which is privately funded, provides college-level courses to a small group of inmates at six prisons across the state. Cuomo aides say that recidivism rates for those who went through the Bard initiative is 4%, compared to overall 40% for rate statewide.

RELATED: COST OF INMATE IN NYC ALMOST AS MUCH AS IVY LEAGUE TUITION

 

Under the Cuomo measure to provide associate's and bachelor's degrees behind bars, the state will fund college programs in 10 prisons that encompass every region of the state. It's unclear just how much the program will cost.

But Cuomo noted that it costs $60,000 to a house a prisoner each year — more than "it takes to send a person to Harvard for the year" — compared to $5,000 annually to provide them college education.

new-york-budget.jpg Mike Groll/AP 'Someone who leaves prison with a college degree has a real shot at a second lease on life because their education gives them the opportunity to get a job and avoid falling back into a cycle of crime,' New York Gov. Cuomo says.

If such programs can cut down on recidivism, the state will see big savings, he said.

"Someone who leaves prison with a college degree has a real shot at a second lease on life because their education gives them the opportunity to get a job and avoid falling back into a cycle of crime," Cuomo said.

The state will soon send out requests for proposals to education associations that provide college professors and classes that are interested in running the program.

RELATED: NEW FILM FEATURES FORMER INMATES' SUCCESS STORIES

The plan won praise from minority lawmakers and inmate advocates.

Former inmate Anthony Cardenales, 39, of the Bronx, earned degrees from Bard College during his 16-year prison sentence on manslaughter charges. He is now vice president of an electronics recycling company in Mount Vernon.

"I think the degree is the foundation that enabled me to truly be successful," he said.

But State Sen. Martin Golden, a Brooklyn Republican and retired NYPD officer, opposes diverting taxpayer dollars for inmate college courses and is  skeptical it will reduce recidivism.

"I got my degree at Attica — that will be the new bumper sticker slogan, Golden said.

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Jeremy K Veteran

Jeremy K

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Hard working NY'ers are paying out the nose to get a college degree. Now we have to pay for criminals to take college classes too. This is another reason Cuomo must go!!!

 

Thats the truth , every month my fiance trys to pay extra on top of the 400 dollars a month for school to get it paid off early.

 

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Doc Experienced

Doc

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I can hardly wait to hear our resident libs start defending this one ..... lol.

 

Look, this all goes along the same lines that this idiot has been following forever. Screw those who attempt to conduct their lives in a fashion conducive to good citizenship, personal responsibility, and decency. Reward those that are the dregs of society.

 

Do you have difficulty raising the cash to go to school? Do you foresee problems with repaying your student loans? Simply look for some illegal offence that will give you occupancy of about 4 or 5 years in one of our $60,000 per year per inmate lodgings and Uncle Andy will take care of you.

 

You know, maybe all you guys that want to run away from NYS really do have the right answer. This place is circling the bowl.

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sweet old bill Newbie

sweet old bill

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Sure would be great if this was offered to all low income  student that wanted to go to, but did not have the $$$, but have a test to make sure they have the ability to go. Not like some of the programs were they keep getting grants, get dollars for living period without cutoff. I have a grand daughter who has to work her butt off at Brooks waiting tables to get her education. No help there Mr. Como who wants to be the leader of this country. Your actions over the years make me a life long dem sick, I want you out.

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Doc Experienced

Doc

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There is an amazing quote that I ran into while following one of the links in the Daily News article in the original post. Check this out:

"New York is indeed an expensive place, but experts say that alone doesn't explain a recent report that found the city's annual cost per inmate was $167,731 last year — nearly as much as it costs to pay for four years of tuition at an Ivy League university."

What the hell is that all about? And now the jerk wants to add onto that the cost of importing college professors and creating classrooms. Come on.... there has to be a limit to his idiocy somewhere, isn't there?

 

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Culvercreek hunt club Enthusiast

Culvercreek hunt club

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Sure would be great if this was offered to all low income student that wanted to go to, but did not have the $$$, but have a test to make sure they have the ability to go. Not like some of the programs were they keep getting grants, get dollars for living period without cutoff. I have a grand daughter who has to work her butt off at Brooks waiting tables to get her education. No help there Mr. Como who wants to be the leader of this country. Your actions over the years make me a life long dem sick, I want you out.

Actually the low income get a substantial amount of assistance right now. The ones that are truly creamed by this system are the ones in the middle as usual. The ones that make too much for assistance but not enough to be able to just write the check.

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JALA RUT Enthusiast

JALA RUT

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What a slap in the face to the victims of the crimes that put these criminals behind bars...Not only are they victimized by the criminal at the time of the crime but now they have to be victimized again paying for his college degree while he serves time for victimizing them!

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virgil Rising Star

virgil

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This sounds like a decent idea in theory-  decrease recidivism rates by providing inmates an education.  But, the taxpayer funding part is hard to swallow.  If, as the Governor states, this idea has been successful using private funds, I think it should remain privately funded.  As others have stated, this idea is a slap in the face to the victims of crime as well as to those of us who had to work hard to pay for our educations while obeying the law.  If the program has been a success using private grants to the Bard Initiative, the Governor could help the Bard Initiative raise more funds to expand the program, instead of committing taxpayer money.

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CuseHunter Newbie

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This just pisses me off to be honest. I got my $4,500 Tuition Assistance from the Army reserves cut due to a lack of funding... I might as well go to jail and get my degree, that way I won't have to be in debt for an education and will be diligently studying in my cell. It is literally sickening to me.

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