"Every time you stop a school, you will have to build a jail. What you gain at one end you lose at the other. It’s like feeding a dog on his own tail. It won’t fatten the dog." 
- Mark Twain 11/23/1900

The Effect of GED on Prisons' Recitivism Rates

The Impact of GED Attainment on a Prison Population

Population Characteristics
When entering prison, prisoners generally have experienced lower academic skills to handle everyday tasks than the general population. (1) A prison population is at high risk of recidivism upon release based on factors such as unstable family situations, most return to large, urban areas, most have children under the age of 18 for whom they are financially responsible, more than half have a family member previously incarcerated, and 70% in one study had close friend from their neighborhoods who had been incarcerated. Most have had an unstable and erratic work history characterized by frequent change of employment, long periods of unemployment and low wages. (2)

Employment

• Gaining a certification such as a GED, signals to potential employers that the offender is capable of completing work tasks. This advantage helps to combat the barriers felons face in a labor market. It confirms a special status when they reenter their community. (1)
• A GED can affect labor market outcomes either by increasing the inmate's skill or by indicating to an employer that he/she is more likely to be a better job candidate than a non-credentialed applicant. (1)

Recidivism

• GED completion impacted three measures - re-arrest, reconviction and re-incarceration in a three state study (Maryland, Minnesota and Ohio). (2)
• The reduction ranges from more than 20% to more than 30% depending on the study. This has major fiscal implications in terms of crime reduction and improved employment of ex-offenders. (2)
• In a major study in New York of the impact of earning a GED while incarcerated, that population had a significantly lower return-to-custody rate. (3) (5)
• The New York study found the relationship between GED attainment and return-to-custody rate is particularly strong among offenders who were under age 21 at release. For adults as well as among young offenders, the lower return rate of the GED cases cannot be attributed to chance, but to a real difference between the return rates.(3) (5)
• A Federal Bureau of Prisons study concluded that "recidivism rates were inversely related to educational program participation while in prison." The more education completed, the lower the recidivism, even after controlling for age and prior criminal history. (4)
• In a study of the New York Dept. of Correctional Services, the recidivism rate for those who earned a GED while incarcerated was five percent less than the general recidivism rate. For Arizona's 40,000 inmate population, that would reduce the population by 2,000 inmates per year. (5)

Economic Impact

• The cost-benefit of funding GED education programs in a prison setting is an alternative policy option to constructing prison beds for individuals who recidivate. The savings to the taxpayer from lower criminal justice costs and lower costs to victims. In the state of Washington is was calculated as a savings of $10,669 per inmate for general education.(1)
• Investments in GED programs in prisons have been confirmed as wise and informed public policy. It is both rehabilitative as well as crime reduction tool. (2)
• Prisons include a large school dropout population. GED graduates earn from 5 to 25 percent more than similar dropouts without a GED. Moreover, the earnings gain was $1,200 to $1,300 more per year. In general GED holders earn about 15 percent more than non-GED school dropouts five years after obtaining a GED.(4)
• According to the Correctional Education Association, a 29% drop in re-incarceration saves $2.00 in correction costs for every $1.00 spent on prison education. Additional savings are made in reduced police and court costs. (4)
• The GED offers an opportunity to access post-secondary education and better paying jobs. (4)

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(1) The Impact of Prison Education Programs on Post-Release Outcomes, Reentry Roundtable on Education, March 31 And April 1, 2008.
(2) Three State Recidivism Study, Office of Correctional Education - United State Department of Education and Correctional Education Association, September 2001,
(3) The Effect of Earning a GED on Recidivism Rates, Nutall, John, Hollman, Linda, Staley, E. Michele, Journal of Correctional Education, September 2003.
(4) Is the GED Valuable to Those Who Pass It?, National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy, 2004.
(5) Follow-Up Study of a Sample of Offenders Who Earned High School Equivalency Diplomas (GEDs) While Incarcerated in DOCS, State of New York Department of Correctional Services, Albany, NY, May 2001.