Prison vs Princeton

As the U.S. government strives for continuing higher education, this infographic by Public Administration may be the place to start. There are millions of dollars spent on prison inmates every year. Much more than the amount spent on education. I'd imagine the government's investment in education potentially brings more return on investment than on prison inmates. In fact, it just makes sense.

Today, President Obama gave a speech on education and the one issue that hinders potential students from receiving higher education; loans. With a tough job market and economic hardships, most think about going back to school in hopes to provide themselves with a brighter and more fulfilling future. The outrageous interest in loans have become the main topic of discussion. This is a step toward a better economic situation for students all across America, with the only area without a clear solution now, is the result in the near future.

As the infographic states, the U.S. is 6th in degree attainment. On the other side, first in incarceration. As odd as these statistics are, if we spend more on education, could that potentially lead to less and less incarceration? I don't have the answer to that. However, with more than a quarter of prison inmates listed as nonviolent offenders, it seems the vision of continuing higher education doesn't lie within education alone. We must taken into account all other sectors and see where to best focus our priorities.

Prison vs Princeton
Created by: Public Administration
Comments