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Fact Sheet
College Programs for Illinois Inmates
Ten community colleges and two independent universities provide
courses for over 11,000 Illinois state prison inmates at an annual
cost of nearly $15 million.
The same programs save Illinois $97 million per year.
A 1997 Illinois Department of Corrections study notes:
"Postsecondary vocational education preparation of the inmate
population for work" reduces recidivism substantially for all levels
of subsets within the variables analyzed. This group's rate of
recidivism at 13.1% is considerably less than that of the general
prison population (39.2%.)"
According to the same study, reducing recidivism creates
approximately $97 million in annual cost savings.
Vocational and occupational education gives the inmate an
alternative to a life of crime. This helps protect the public. It
enhances public safety.
Elimination of college programs in Illinois prisons would threaten
public safety and increase the cost of the state's prison system. The
ranks of Illinois college graduates would be diminished by nearly
2,000 each year. Over 240 people will lose full-time employment.
Wardens will lose a significant number of "time slots" within the
prisons. College classes are a way for wardens to create an orderly
plan of activity for the prisoners.
Prisoners earn "good time" by attending class. "Good time"
contributes to early release. Early release saves the State money.
The opportunity to attend college provides an incentive for inmates
to maintain good conduct within the prison. Guards support the college
programs because their job of creating an orderly environment within
the prison is made more manageable by the existence of college level
programs.
Elimination of college level programs will negatively affect efforts
by the Illinois Workforce Investment Board to create a smooth
employment transition for released prisoners.
Colleges and universities were not given adequate time to close down
their programs in an orderly fashion. Four must deal with tenured
faculty in their programs. None was given opportunity to provide the
legally required 60-day notice to affected employees. Sudden
discontinuation of the inmate programs creates a less-than-probable
setting for future DOC/college partnerships.
There are cost-saving alternatives:
Offer high level DOC officers early retirement incentives
Eliminate only inmate baccalaureate-level courses
Keep vocational courses and programs
Colleges reduce the vocational program by 20 percent
Eliminate summer programs
Ask Department of Corrections to identify other savings
For information on the shutdown of higher education programs at
Illinois correctional facilities, click here or call ICCTA at
1-800-454-2282.
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Page maintained by: Jim Thomas - jthomas@sun.soci.niu.edu