Study Finds Prison Education Beneficial to Utah Prisoners and Taxpayers

by Joe Watson

When Utah prisoners get an education behind bars that they can use to find work upon their release, good things happen, according to a University of Utah report released by the state's Department of Corrections (UDOC) in July 2013.

The report, authored by economics professor Richard Fowles, found a 13-to-1 return on the state's investment—$13.66 returned on every dollar spent—when prisoners receive vocational education in prison and get jobs after their sentences are complete. To calculate this number, Fowles used data from Utah's Office of Education and UDOC and considered prison education costs to police, courts, corrections and "tangible crime costs" of $1,800 per taxpayer.

Naturally, educating and ultimately employing offenders also significantly decreases Utah's recidivism rate, according to the report. While Utah reportedly has a base recidivism rate of 50% (within 36 months of a prisoner's release), this figure drops to 41% with a prison education and 31% with a prison education and a job.

"(The report) shows that we're actually doing something out here, rather than just warehousing individuals," said UDOC Lieutenant Vic Smith. "The benefit far outweighs the cost."

UDOC prisoners once had opportunities to earn up to a bachelor's degree while in prison, until lawmakers nixed the program because of complaints from victims' families who were struggling to afford college.

Now, through Davis Applied Technology College (DATC), prisoners at the Utah State Prison in Draper can earn program certificates in maintenance, machining, auto, welding, culinary arts and business technology.

"It was the emphasis on the victims and making sure there's some credence given to the hard life they've got to live," said UDOC spokesman Steve Gehrke, referring to the new arrangement with DATC.

Gehrke said about $1.2 million is spent annually on prisoners' secondary education, while DATC officials say their contract with the state pays them between $800,000 and $900,000.

While state legislators have only allotted $400,000 for corrections education, as much as $750,000 is generated from surcharges on prisoners' phone calls to family and friends, according to Gehrke.

Source:"Corrections Education in Utah: Measuring Return on Investment," by Richard Fowles, University of Utah Department of Economics & Graduate Program in Statistics" (October 2012); www.deseretnews.com