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The analogy that school is like a prison is not so far-fetched. In addition to obvious comparisons pertaining to strict authority figures and a lack of freedom, prisons and schools both share the expectation that, once released, you will enter into the world equipped with the knowledge and skills to succeed in life. Schools and prisons have one common link: your sentence in the education system may actually help you avoid a sentence in the big house.

Statistics show that people with degrees or experience in higher education are less likely to commit crimes. Statistics also show that prisoners who pursue education while serving time in prison are less likely to be re-incarcerated. If improved education in our prisons would result in less crime, then why aren’t we doing more to ensure quality correctional education?

As penitentiaries shift from a correctional system based on punishment to one of rehabilitation, an emphasis is being placed on educating inmates in both academics and life skills. According to the 1997 Three State Recidivism Study, which monitored the rate of re-incarceration of educated inmates compared to uneducated ones, inmates who had received an education while in prison were less likely to be re-incarcerated. Not only were educated inmates less likely to return to jail, but they also obtained better jobs and were more likely to become productive members of society.

The most common means of earning a degree or an education while in prison is through distance learning. Over the years, prisoners have participated in correspondence courses that operated through university-distributed mail-order materials. However, advancements in technology present new opportunities for these inmates who strive to rise above past mistakes. The emergence of video-conferencing and multimedia courses on CD-ROM enable prisoners to learn in a more interactive setting. And while many people remain skeptical about the potential costs that accompany the high-tech education of prisoners, the shocking truth is that it costs taxpayers around twenty-thousand dollars each year for the upkeep of just one inmate - roughly one year’s college tuition.

In light of the massive yearly expenses incurred by basic necessities for inmates, increased funding for technology in education will pay off by keeping inmate population down. Several states including Texas, Ohio and Florida are taking the initiative in the reformation of correctional education to include a more technology-based forum for learning. Satellite feeds and live, interactive broadcasts enable a smaller number of teachers to communicate to a larger population of inmates. Inmates are able to communicate with professors via telephone hotlines in some cases or during live classes through the use of a microphone. This system is not only cost-effective, but it encourages interactivity more than the antiquated written correspondence courses.

One of the leaders distributing instruction to correctional facilities is the Corrections Learning Network (CLN). CLN provides prisoners with live and pre-taped broadcasts on a variety of courses for adult and juvenile offenders. Though courses through CLN do not count toward a degree, they do educate prisoners in basic math and literacy skills that will help many inmates in daily life. In addition to basic skills courses, CLN offers GED prep courses and a variety of courses on “life skills,” which include such topics as anger management and skills for the workplace.

Similar to CLN, SAFETY-NET offers juveniles an interactive education. Under federal law, juvenile offenders under sixteen are required to spend three hours a day in class or studying. With SAFETY-NET, students are taught through satellite and two-way video-conferencing. This enhanced education could be crucial in keeping minors from spending their adult lives in jail.

Despite the major advantages of technology in correctional education - for both the individual students and society as a whole - many institutions remain hesitant to utilize new technology as a means to educate prisoners. While multimedia courses on CD-ROMs and online courses offer interactive possibilities for people with different learning styles, they also present new problems to facilities. Whereas computer and internet access could prove to be invaluable learning tools, they can also be potentially misused by criminals who may wish to cyber-stalk victims, conduct online scams, or research materials that could aid in future crimes.

The future of correctional education is unclear; however, an increased emphasis on education has the potential to drastically effect crime rates and rehabilitate willing individuals. The use of technology tends to spawn doubts and questions no matter what the circumstances; but with correctional education, the pros outweigh the cons.