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Flat Prisons?
March 26, 2007 | Leave a Comment
As David Warlick and I cruised through the Boyce Farmer’s Market on his last morning in Fredericton – a landmark and Saturday morning tradition in downtown Fredericton, we happened upon Andy Scott, our local Member of Parliament (representative in the federal government). Andy has been the M.P. for Fredericton for over 15 years, and has recently announced his retirement with the next elections.
It wanted to take the opportunity to congratulate Andy on his tenure and thank him for all his hard work on our behalf (I actually think politicians get a bad rap!). After introducing him to David, our discussion turned to Andy’s passion – our penal system. As our federal Solicitor-General, he was Janet Reno’s counterpart during the Clinton administration, and he regaled us of a few stories, but what really was interesting was some very dramatic figures (I can’t recount details) that illustrated the benefits, especially in terms of recidivism, for a focus on rehabilitation as opposed to punishment (aka..the “truth in sentencing” approach).
In Canada, individuals convicted of crimes often ask for longer sentences so they can be incarcerated in federal penitentiaries rather than local jails. This allows them access to various programs, including education. The government will sometimes even pay for university degrees!
As a parent who is paying to put our children through university I felt slightly betrayed but, after hearing Andy’s explanation and his stats on the rates of reoffending, I am reminded of what I believe about the power of education. Inmates who obtain a university degree while incarcerated have dramatically lower rates of slipping back into crime.
Education is an incredibly liberating and empowering thing. It is even more empowering for disadvantaged people like those from the developing world and, yes, those in our own communities who need help. Even in our penal system, the world is becoming flatter.
Technorati tags: Warlick, education, teaching, literacyandlearning
