Column: Prison education a sound investment in Hawaii communities

The United States holds the largest prison population in the world, in both sheer numbers and per capita. Each year, roughly 600,000 people enter prison in this country, with over 1.5 million in state or federal prison on any given day.

The prison landscape wasn’t always this expansive. Prison populations began to noticeably rise across the country in the 1980s. The same is true for Hawaii, which experienced an 870% increase in prison populations between 1980 and 2018, with a disproportionate impact on Native Hawaiians.

While research suggests that the behavior of criminals did not substantially change, our reaction to their offending did. As a country, we enacted tougher sentencing laws that sent more people to prison for longer periods of time. And, we enacted tougher parole and probation supervision practices that provided easier pathways back to prison.

As a correctional endeavor, prisons do not do a good job at actually correcting unwanted behavior. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 68% of inmates are rearrested within three years. In Hawaii, 53% of those released to parole are rearrested within the same timeframe, and 64% for those who max out of prison. Inmates leave with few resources or an increased ability to perform well in the community.

In 1994, federal legislation eliminated Pell Grant funding and eligibility for students incarcerated in state or federal prisons, even though prison education is empirically linked to significantly lower rates of reoffending. In 2015, the Obama administration noted the importance of prison education for inmate rehabilitation and community safety. The U.S. Department of Education launched a pilot program to allow inmates who are taking courses from institutions of higher education to be eligible for Pell Grant funding, so long as they are an experimental site. By 2023, most inmates will be allowed Pell Grant funding once again.

In Hawaii and elsewhere, prison education provides a decidedly strong return on investment. According to a RAND study, education in prison reduces the likelihood that an inmate will return to prison by 13%. They also increase the odds of post-incarceration employment by the same rate. Inmates engaged in prison education programs experience fewer misconducts and less violent behavior inside the prison. This contributes to safer communities inside and out.

There is also a financial return on investment. According to RAND, every $1 investment in prison education yields a reduction in incarceration costs of between $4 and $5 during those first three years of post-release. This is a return on investment we can all stand behind, one that values social justice and the transformative value of education for all.

As a faculty member, I am encouraged to be a part of a degree granting program that will be offered to prison inmates in Hawaii beginning this August. These inmate students will be able to earn an associate degree because of the Second Chance Pell Experimental program began by the Obama administration. Students will take the same courses as those on the physical campus, earn the same credit, and receive the same high-quality education as more traditional students on campus.

Institutions of higher education have an opportunity to tangibly change the landscape of degree programs within prison and provide positive, prosocial opportunities that will transform lives. This type of program not only contributes to lower recidivism, but the development of personal skills and prosocial bonds for inmate students and elevation of economic mobility. I am proud to be involved in this effort, it’s the right thing to do, will make us safer, and will save us all money. I urge you to voice support and tangibly assist similar efforts as opportunities arise.

Janet T. Davidson is a professor of criminology and criminal justice at Chaminade University of Honolulu, and the university’s vice provost for academic affairs.