Comments for The Round Table

Comment on Prison inmates shouldn’t receive free college education by Miff

Miff — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 17:55:53 +0000

To Anonymous who wrote “i have some sons in the state penn.”, what a testiment as a Mother. Hopefully your sons will receive enough training to help you when/if they are released. Please get your self together and go and see your children.

Comment on Prison inmates shouldn’t receive free college education by Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:22:41 +0000

i have some sons in the state penn. there are in lock up for 9 years. and i would like to know where u get off thuinking u are better then them/they have alot of problems growing up in a household full of folks who dont seem to gave a crap.they have had noone go and see them all the while they are there.and they are my sons . no matter what they have done.i do care about them and i always have. we dont need someone like u that thinks he is god gift

Comment on Prison inmates shouldn’t receive free college education by Brett

Brett — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 01:38:31 +0000

Tina, I have to disagree with your assertion that “PRISONER’S ARE IN PRISON FOR VIOLATING OR TAKING THE TOTAL AND COMPLETE RIGHTS FROM ANOTHER PERSON!!” The violent ones, robbers, murderers, thieves did, but I did not. I was convicted of selling marijuanna and I took no ones rights.
The money being spent to educate a child in elementary school in 2008/2009 was just a little over $10000. http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=66 The money being spent to keep a prisoner in jail ranges from twice that: http://www.dc.state.fl.us/pub/statsbrief/cost.html to 4 1/2 times: http://www.lao.ca.gov/laoapp/laomenus/sections/crim_justice/6_cj_inmatecost.aspx?catid=3. That’s your hard earned tax dollars at work.
Let’s imagine for just a moment that the education an inmate receives in prison actually helps him stay out of prison. That’s the case with me. The government is NOT paying 10 to 30 thousand dollars a year to keep me in prison … and they can use that money for another purpose. Perhaps to upgrade the Governor’s office bathroom.
I might be in the minority, but I cared about and valued highly the educational opportunity I was afforded. It didn’t make me a smarter criminal … it made me a smarter citizen that pays taxes. Instead of blaming “The Man” for putting me behind bars, my education showed me how I was the one that put myself behind bars. I have no interest in going back there and will do whatever I can to stay out of prison.
Someone mentioned a statistic that over 60% of people released go back to prison with 2 years. That may be true. I submit, however, that an education earned in prison reduces that percentage by a significant amount. This URL has an interesting statistic … http://www.bard.edu/bpi/pdfs/crime_report.pdf

Most strikingly, the State of Texas reported the extraordinary recidivism impacts of
postsecondary education: “[T]wo years after release, the overall recidivism rate for college
degree holders was as low as 12%, and inversely differentiated by type of degree.” The exact
figures indicating these inverse recidivism rates for degree recipients were: Associate’s (13.7%);
Baccalaureate’s (5.6%); Master’s (0%).

In other words … that 60+% recidivism rate applies to uneducated inmates. Allow a prisoner to earn an Associate’s and the rate drops to 13.7%. If they are incarcerated long enough to earn a Master’s the likelihood of their return drops to zero. Every person that stays out of prison and rejoins society like I have, earns a wage and pays taxes. Part of those tax dollars go to pay for children’s education and part goes to pay for inmate’s incarceration. I know where I would rather spend my money and it’s not on keeping people in jail

Comment on Prison inmates shouldn’t receive free college education by VALERIE

VALERIE — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 23:31:52 +0000

I agree that they should not receive free education beyond high school or GED. Its not fair for hard working people to have to struggle to send one of their family members to college. I do think that Tony has a good idea, I live in Maryland, tomake them pay for the education to let them know they are not being rewarded for their actions. They should be being molded and prepared to be able to function in the real world and learn how to obtain an education through their hard work and paying for it. I understand that life throws challenges sometimes beyond your control but just like the people that get them same kind of problems they learn to work through it and not go to jail, doesn’t get a free education or get it handed to them. They have to work hard and then they are recognized for their accomplishments. Even though prisons are supposed to be for rehabilitation it is also punishment. So beyond them receiving the basics I dont hink that they should receive free college education. They also take away jobs from people that shave been working towards their degrees for so many years and then someone that has committed a crime gets out and gets the opportunity first. I have family thats incarcerated and my views are the same. They should promote people striving to get an education when they get out and they can even help them but they should not be allowed to obtain degrees.

Comment on Popular shows for teenagers glorify the idea of pregnancy by Amber

Amber — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 00:09:11 +0000

I disagree. 16 and Pregnant makes me NOT want to be a teen mom. Some of those guys are so horrible, and most of the relationships have fallen apart.

It seems to me that the bad outweighs the good, so I’m not certain what television show you’re watching. For one thing, Macy’s boyfriend is hardly involved in her son’s life, and she seems mostly miserable for it. Amber isn’t with her man anymore and seems particularly unhappy. The only one who seems to have any true happiness is Catelynn because she has a loving boyfriend, and gave her baby up for adoption, even if she misses the baby like crazy–but she knows it’s best.

Comment on Prison inmates shouldn’t receive free college education by Current Student

Current Student — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:59:10 +0000

Having recently completed my freshman year in college, I am already $5000 in debt. I have three more years, if you don’t include medical school, to accumulate even more debt. From this viewpoint, I do not think that inmates should receive free education. I have never broken a law in my life, but I am going to graduate with a debt that I have to pay off while paying for my house, car, etc. Its not a matter of what is fair, but rather what is just. It is not justice that they receive free college education. They should pay for their choices to break the law.

Comment on Long-distance runners sacrifice comfort for success by Staci Blackburn

Staci Blackburn — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 11:07:37 +0000

Heh I am really the only reply to your great article!?

Comment on Long-distance runners sacrifice comfort for success by Jillian Dewitt

Jillian Dewitt — Sat, 29 May 2010 09:09:52 +0000

Very awesome read. Honest.

Comment on Popular shows for teenagers glorify the idea of pregnancy by Fern Burford on May 25, 2010

Fern Burford on May 25, 2010 — Wed, 26 May 2010 20:04:24 +0000

As a teenager herself, I can’t think of a better critic of these shows that do, as she states, glorify the fun side of being a mommy with this real- live baby doll. Emma obviously understands the other side – the crying, teetheing, colicky, no money, etc. etc. We should be grateful that we have talented young teenagers who are willling to speak out on a contraversial subject. Congratulations,Emma. You truly deserve this award.

Comment on Popular shows for teenagers glorify the idea of pregnancy by Jo Rowe

Jo Rowe — Mon, 24 May 2010 23:12:26 +0000

As a mother of four and a grandmother of four, I have nothing but high praise for Emma Trapp. She is willing to stick out her neck and go against the popular idea that sex is a spectator sport and that the resulting pregnancy is just another fun thing to happen to you. The fun part wears off very quickly and the responsibility part rears its ugly head very soon – and then where is the father? I say shame, shame on the media industry for promulgating such bad choices for our vulnerable teenagers. You go girl.