In 1970, the total U.S. prison population came in at just under 200,000; in 2020, it topped 1.2 million, according to Bureau of Justice Statistics. That increase dramatically outpaces population growth, draining state and federal budgets, crushing communities, creating a tax burden for citizens, and leaving gaps in families that impact generations.
The answer has never been as simple as “follow the law.” Data analysis shows that a host of environmental and social factors contribute to criminal activity, and shifting laws that respond to political trends, like the War on Drugs, create their own wellspring of incarceration.
One thing has become clear, however: Education helps keep people out of prison.
An Emory University study revealed that vocational training slashed the recidivism rate—generally 75–80 percent—to 30 percent. The rate drops further the more education an offender receives: For those earning an associate degree, recidivism plummets to 13.7 percent; a bachelor’s degree drops it to 5.6 percent; and for the time period studied, no one who earned a master’s degree while incarcerated recidivated.
Educating men and women in prison brings tremendous benefit to individuals, families, communities, and the country as a whole. Making it happen is a challenge.
