A very interesting incident occurred in the penal system of New York State - "Harvard debate team loses to prison debate team." (http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/10/02/1427151/-Harvard-debate-team-loses-to-prison-debate-team)
A debate team formed in a prison facility in New York State defeated the debate team from Harvard University. The prisoners were prepared in a program created by Bard College and they accomplished this feat without access to the internet. (http://bpi.bard.edu/ )
Last year, New York's governor, Andrew Cuomo, announced plans to increase funding for prisoners to earn college degrees during their incarceration.
Georgia has one of the highest recidivism rates in the country and in our state, 1 in 13 residents is either incarcerated, on probation, or on parole. However, educational opportunities are not offered and the cycle continues to repeat itself. L.C."Buster" Evans, assistant commissioner of the Georgia Department of Corrections, said: "It has been many years, if ever, since an inmate has completed his or her high school diploma while incarcerated in a state correctional facility for adults."
I say our state can and should do much, much more.
