Reducing Recidivism Through Targeted Education and Workforce Programs
A proposal to expand education and job training in prisons, with a look at what the programs would cost and how fewer returns to prison could save money.
Key findings
- Approximately 62% to 68% of state prisoners are rearrested within three years of release (BJS / Council on Criminal Justice)
- Prison education participants are up to 48% less likely to reincarcerate and 13% more likely to find work
- For previously unemployed inmates, job training programs led to a +40 percentage point increase in employment after release (NBER)
- Every $1 invested in correctional education saves $4–$5 in future incarceration costs
