On February 16, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that New York State will fund college courses in the state’s prisons, an initiative that will allow prisoners to earn associate and bachelor degrees while incarcerated. The American Civil Liberties Union and the New York Civil Liberties Union applaud the program:
“Governor Cuomo’s decision to fund prisoners’ college educations is a win-win for public safety and the bottom line,” said Anthony Romero, Executive Director of the ACLU. “We know that people are far less likely to return to prison if they leave with college educations. This is the kind of smart, sensible approach to crime reduction that has such strong support across the political spectrum.”
Donna Lieberman, Executive Director of NYCLU, noted, “By funding college courses in New York State prisons, Governor Cuomo is giving people a better shot at staying out of prison once they leave. We all benefit when former prisoners have educations that allow them to find jobs and build lives.”
