Prisoners Should Get Free Education to Reduce Recidivism, Newt Gingrich Says

Christian Post ^ | 05/21/2014 | Michael Gryboski

[SeekAndFind]

WASHINGTON — Prisoners should be provided free education in order to reduce crime and recidivism, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich declared at a gathering of conservative advocates of prison reform.

Right on Crime, a Texas-based coalition of conservative public figures and elected officials, had a two day Leadership Summit at the Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center Tuesday and Wednesday.

Newt Gingrich gave remarks at the Wednesday morning session, describing some of the needs he believed had to be met for meaningful prison reform.

While still supportive of the early 1990's "war on crime" measures championed by the likes of New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Gingrich believed that more had to be done than merely arresting people.

Gingrich told The Christian Post that he believed education was a crucial component for helping to aid individuals released from prison who were able to be reformed.

"When you realize how many of the prisoners score the very bottom of literacy. If you don't learn how to read during a period when we're paying your housing, we're paying your food, we've total control of your life," said Gingrich.

"If we can't figure out a way to use online learning and other systems to help you learn how to read and how to be productive why would we think you are going to get a job when you get out of prison?"

A project of the nonprofit group the Texas Public Policy Foundation, Right on Crime is a conservative-driven effort to reform America's criminal justice and prison system.

The group has a declaration, known as the Right on Crime Statement of Principles, which outlines their objectives.

"As with any government program, the criminal justice system must be transparent and include performance measures that hold it accountable for its results in protecting the public, lowering crime rates, reducing re-offending, collecting victim restitution and conserving taxpayers' money," reads one objective from the Statement.

"An ideal criminal justice system works to reform amenable offenders who will return to society through harnessing the power of families, charities, faith-based groups, and communities."

At the summit, guests got to hear from representatives of the governments of Texas and Mississippi, both of whom had implemented state-level reforms to their criminal justice system.

Speakers spoke about the need to do more than strictly punish offenders, but rather to recognize that convicted criminals were not all hardened repeat offenders.

For Mississippi, their reform efforts included a mixture of lowered drug penalties, changed sentencing procedures, and mandatory minimums.

Texas representatives, which included a message from outgoing Governor Rick Perry, boasted of a decline in crime and imprisonment, with the Lone Star State having closed down a few of its prisons for lack of need.

One of the summit attendees and a signatory of the Statement was Ken Cuccinelli, former attorney general for the Commonwealth of Virginia and a state legislator.

In an interview with CP, Cuccinelli said that he was drawn to the Right on Crime effort due to its strident use of data to help advance prison reform.

"I really believe in using data to come to right outcomes," said Cuccinelli, adding that criminal justice can be "a very expensive arena."

"There are consequences to being wrong. This is about people's lives and public safety. And I want to achieve the maximum public safety I can, consistent with frugality and getting good outcomes."

Cuccinelli also told CP that he felt the federal level will be influenced by the Right on Crime movement as more states adopt the reforms of the conservative group.

"As conservative states not only implement some of these reforms but see the data-driven successes they've had because of them, that's the laboratory of democracy," said Cuccinelli.

"Their congressmen and their senators are more likely to start bringing that to Washington, where the numbers and the dollars are just enormous."

[Lurker]

Dear Newt,

Shut up.

Thanks,

L

[itsahoot]

Are people who leave prison being rehabilitated or not?

If they are not, they shouldn't be leaving.

[tennmountainman]

Would you hire a convicted felon to hang Sheetrock at your house?

[JimRed]

The only education many of them want is how to not get caught next time.

[PeterPrinciple]

Except that...

---

There is no easy solution. Most prisoners want to change while they are in prison. Some do change, most don’t. It is easier to go back to what you were doing than to change once you get out. Remember the proverb about a dog going back to its vomit.

I worked with Innerchange Freedom Initiative a Christian based program. The recidivism was a little better than the normal population but not a lot.

There is no magic bullet here. But the guys in prison are a reflection of us also. There are some things I need to change in my life and I know it like exercise, eating habits, etc, and I try but the reality is I probably won’t. But my bad habits so far, don’t land me in jail.

My observation is that most guys that changed would have changed anyway whether in prison or not. But, sometimes a little thing you do can make a difference in a persons life or at least God can use it.

“working out your salvation with fear and trembling” is not an easy path. Some change instantly, others it is a lifelong process. BUT MOST OF US DO NOT CHANGE........

[okie01]

But, sometimes a little thing you do can make a difference in a persons life or at least God can use it.

I completely agree with your premise. My comment is not directed toward individual and volunteer efforts to reduce recidivism -- faith-based and otherwise. Indeed, these are the only devices that are likely to have a positive impact.

Instead, my comment was directed toward the kind of ponderous, expensive government-based bureaucratic effort that Newt was proposing. It would surely result in just another failed government program.

[xrmusn]

By the time the adults are in prison, the majority of them had already screwed up 12 years of free education.

Wasn’t it the Russian Gulags that the prisoners were dropped off at the end of the rail line.

They were to build a ‘village’ and extend the rail road as far as they were able, knowing the next train would go to the end of the line so you are better off having the ‘newbies’ be as far away from you as possible.

That is killing a whole bunch of birds with one concept.

[Theophilus]

Gingrich is not a conservative because every conservative knows that nothing is free.

[Terry L Smith]

Dear drunknsage,

People were sent to prison, because they committed a serious crime.

1. Can you spout one legitimate source, that says that herion, cocaine, pcp, ecstacy, and any other illicit drug, has any beneficial, and nutritious addings to the human body?
For all my years alive, all of that has been considered poisons, therefore, those selling and distributing poisons, are worthy of death.

2. The move to “rehabilitation”, is an idea fostered by liberals, not by conservatives. “We must try to understand what makes them tick, so we can go in there, and make it right.”

Nope. It is THE THUG that has always decided: what property already owned by somebody else, what risk is there to take it; would they have to walk over that person’s already dead body, to get it; when to commit the crime; and where.

You asked me if I like to resolve issues, right?

My solution would only cost one dollar per convict; not be a burden on the electric grid system; not be a happenstance event, as is now going on with lethal injections, although it is one; and would be complete. Although, if you think that is too expensive, we could use “the Pancho Villa method”, don’t you think?

Lastly, have you ever been robbed, raped, threatened with bodily harm by a group of individuals, shot at, attacked with a knife, and all of this within the Continental U.S.?

[Terry L Smith]

Rehabilitation should be to make it so horrible a place to be, that no one would dare wish to go there, or do crimes, to return there, because they cannot handle the outside world.

Rapists and murderers should NOT serve time, but be dispatched.

[xzins]

BS. Prisoners should be fed high fat 5000 calorie a day diets and allowed unlimited cigarettes. They should have couches and TVs and no weight rooms. They should get zero exercise at all. The best prisoner is 400 pounds with clogged arteries, short breath, and little physical ability to catch anyone or appeal to anyone.