Vol.14 No.22 - Congressional Hearing - October 19, 1983 Correctional Education

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Aran

October 19, 1983 issue highlights Rep. John Conyers Jr. and Sen. Claiborne Pell urging congressional funding for correctional education. The proposal would provide $25 million per year for three years, focused on vocational training, counseling, job placement, and partnerships with private industry. Administration would be handled by the Secretary of Education with funds allocated by inmate population and required to be spent solely on inmate education. The issue also summarizes hearings and evidence linking unemployment and lack of skills to recidivism.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

INMATE EDUCATION: House/Senate Bills

Corrections Digest

The Need For Correctional Education

Recidivism statistics and rationale

October 19.1983 Vol.14 No.22 ## Congressional Hearing... REP.CONYERS URGES SUPPORTFOR $25 MILLION PER YEARCORRECTIONALEDUCATION ACT Aim Is To Provide Adequate FederalAid For Inmate Academic,Vocational Ed By Betty B.BosargeEditor,Washington Crime News Services What is the solution to the problems of recidivismby parolees?Rep.John Conyers,Jr.(D-Mich.)andSen.Claiborne Pell(D-R.I.)think the problems canbe solved if the Federal Government gives a few million dollars to the states for correctional educationprograms for inmates. To accomplish this goal,they have introducedcompanion bills in the House and Senate which wouldprovide $25 million per year over a three-year periodfor inmate education programs,with an emphasis onvocational education and training.These programswould include basic education,transitional servicessuch as counseling and job placement,and coopera-tive programs with private industry for on-the-jobtraining. The program would be administered by theSecretary of Education and funds would be dis-tributed to state education agencies in all states usinga formula based on their inmate populations.Inaddition,the bills mandate that the funds be spentsolely on inmate education,a mandate which wouldbe closely supervised by the Secretary of Education. The House Bill,H.R.3684(The Federal Correc-tional Education Assistance Act)has 34 co-sponsorsincluding the two chairmen of the Subcommitteesunder whose jurisdiction the legislation falls. (Continued on page two) IN THIS ISSUE INMATE EDUCATION:House/Senate Bills FREE REPORT:Hostages And Jail Recreation. 5FEDERALINMATES:Charged In Drug Ring...5PROPORTIONALITY:Legal Issue Gets Last-Minute Reprieve For Texas Killer .....5DEATH PENALTY:"God Says It's OK," Texas Governor Argues .....6CORRECTION.............7WOODEN LEGS:Don't Forget To Search Them..7JOB LISTINGS.............8AIDS:Officers Suspended For Refusing To Transport Inmate........8PRISONS:CNN To Air Burger Interview ....9IN THE COURTS:Lethal Injections, Military Death Penalty Debates. ......9 D.C.PRISON:County Wants Security Check...10 ACA WOMEN’S TASK FORCE MEETING There is still time to register for the AmericanCorrectional Association(ACA)Task Force onWomen in Corrections meeting to be held Oct.27in Marriottsville,Maryland.Keynote speaker willbe Eleanor M.Carey,deputy attorney general ofMaryland.In addition,there will be several work-shops dealing with education/training,job networks,career development and legal issues.There will alsobe regional committee meetings.For further infor-mation,please contact:Barbara Bostick,statecoordinator,ACA Women's Task Force,4321 Hart-wick Rd.,Suite L-208,College Park,MD 20740.Phone:301-699-7600. ## CORRECTIONS DIGEST In hearings Oct.18 before the Senate Laborand Human Resources Committee Subcommitteeon Education,Arts and Humanities,Conyers saidit is "time for Congress to make a solid commitmentto inmate rehabilitation with the expectation thatupon release the great majority of inmates will haveacquired the skills,training and knowledge that willpermit them to be gainfully employed and to leadproductive lives in society." He said he is confident support for the legisla-tion will continue to grow,although the road is aittle bit rocky given the past history of Sen.Pell'sattempts to get the legislation through.Pell hasintroduced his bill(S.625)for the last three years,but this is the first time that he has obtained suchstrong support in the House.In previous years,hewas unable to obtain support from the Departmentof Education,but Corrections Digest has learnedthat this year DOE is providing "some support." The bills are being pushed by Dr.Osa Coffey,executive director of the Correctional EducationAssociation(CEA),as well as by vocational educa-tion specialists from the Nebraska Department ofEducation,the Texas Department of Corrections,the University of Bridgeport,Conn.,Ohio StateUniversity's National Center for Research in

FAQs

What funding level is proposed for inmate correctional education?

The bills would provide $25 million per year over a three-year period for inmate education programs.

How would the correctional education funds be administered and allocated?

The Secretary of Education would administer the program and distribute funds to state education agencies using a formula based on inmate populations.

What does Conyers cite as a major cause of recidivism?

He argues that unemployment, lack of job experience, and absence of employable skills—combined with wasted prison time—contribute to returning to criminal behavior.

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Aran