Associated PressADVERTISMENT
Texas prison schools face cuts, opt for online
3 Comments
POSTED: Friday, March 18, 2011 - 11:32am
UPDATED: Sunday, April 17, 2011 - 1:00pm
AUSTIN — The $128 million school system for state inmates could be replaced with online programs to save money.
Senate Education Committee Chairwoman Florence Shapiro of Plano said Thursday that lawmakers will have to be convinced why the Windham School District, which serves 90 prisons, should be funded.
Shapiro suggested online instruction could be substituted as part of rehabilitation programs in the Department of Criminal
Justice.
The Austin American-Statesman reports the district, with 1,300 employees, is funded through the Texas Education Agency. Inmates can earn GED and vocational certificates.
Superintendent Debbie Roberts defended the system, noting that professional educators are working in a "correctional environment."
Prison system spokeswoman Michelle Lyons says TDCJ is ready to work with legislators. Lyons says providing an education to
offenders is an important part of rehabilitation.
Comments News Comments
Defunding minimum educational classes in prison returns, in many instances, illiterate people back into society who go right back into what sent them to prison in the first place. To counter the "education" they get from more experienced criminals, it would seem prudent to give prisoners a way to improve themselves. As for eliminating SATP, for whatever help they give addicts, are you willing to deal with those who do not benefit from the program?
Inmates (Male & Female) who cannot read or write. Who resort to dealing drugs, Committing Robberies, Burglaries, Thefts. Drug or Alcohol offenders (which make up 70% of the TDCJ Population) come RIGHT BACK OUT ON THE STREETS the same way they went in! If we cannot fund MINIMUM Educational and Fundamental basics to these; Then we should also do away with the SATP (Substance Abuse Treatment Facilities) of which there are at least 12 in Texas! This would save the taxpayers nore than $300 Million!
We the American people have bent over backwards and babied these inmates and supply them with more books than we supply our kids. It's time to make the punishment outway the crimes. If you talk to these inmates they don't care if they go back in. Lets get back to making it a prison and not a hotel. Go for three strikes and your out. Everyone makes mistakes, give them two strikes,third offense is death. I'll bet after two strikes they will walk the line and be procuctive citizens.
Post new Comment
ADVERTISMENT
Special Features
Special Reports
