SavannahMann
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- Nov 16, 2016
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I saw this story on Facebook, but as life happens, couldn’t comment about it here as I was busy. Since then, the Federal Prisons have rescinded the order while they evaluate the policies.
Federal prisons abruptly cancel policy that made it harder, costlier for inmates to get books
Prisoners have been able to get books from relatives, and where there were security issues or concerns, the prisoners could still get books sent from retailers like Amazon. These books would be shipped directly from the retailer making it highly improbable that the books would be used to smuggle things in. I mean, how do you arrange it some someone at the warehouse could hide a packet of drugs or a thin weapon in a book? Possible, but very unlikely.
The Bureau of Prisons decided to limit the prisoners to one book provider, and charge them a 30% markup on the price. A tax of about one third the cost.
Let’s be honest. Studies have shown that the better educated an individual is the less likely that individual is to become a repeat offender. So if our goal is to reduce recidivism then we have to encourage education as part of the incarceration. Restricting that increases the likelihood of the person becoming a repeat offender, and returning to prison. Reading is fundamental to increasing knowledge.
An Exploration of the Relationship Between Recidivism and Education
It doesn’t cost the taxpayers anything to let the prisoners get books. It will in all likelihood reduce the number of repeat offenders and thus reduce the burden on the taxpayers.
Federal prisons abruptly cancel policy that made it harder, costlier for inmates to get books
Prisoners have been able to get books from relatives, and where there were security issues or concerns, the prisoners could still get books sent from retailers like Amazon. These books would be shipped directly from the retailer making it highly improbable that the books would be used to smuggle things in. I mean, how do you arrange it some someone at the warehouse could hide a packet of drugs or a thin weapon in a book? Possible, but very unlikely.
The Bureau of Prisons decided to limit the prisoners to one book provider, and charge them a 30% markup on the price. A tax of about one third the cost.
Let’s be honest. Studies have shown that the better educated an individual is the less likely that individual is to become a repeat offender. So if our goal is to reduce recidivism then we have to encourage education as part of the incarceration. Restricting that increases the likelihood of the person becoming a repeat offender, and returning to prison. Reading is fundamental to increasing knowledge.
An Exploration of the Relationship Between Recidivism and Education
It doesn’t cost the taxpayers anything to let the prisoners get books. It will in all likelihood reduce the number of repeat offenders and thus reduce the burden on the taxpayers.