Every $1 spent on prison education saves taxpayers $4-5 in reduced incarceration costs. Georgia spends $60,000 annually to incarcerate one person—but invests almost nothing in education that would prevent their return. RAND Corporation research shows education reduces recidivism by 43%. College programs generate $16,908 in economic benefit per participant. Texas saves over $160 million annually from prison education investments. Georgia builds new prisons instead. 1
The Return on Investment
Prison education pays for itself and then some:
- $4-5 return for every $1 spent within three years of release
- 43% lower recidivism for education program participants
- $16,908 economic benefit per college program participant
- 600 crimes prevented per $1 million invested—vs. 350 through incarceration alone
The Bard Prison Initiative costs $5,000 per student annually. Incarceration costs $60,000. The math isn’t complicated.
Employment After Release
Education directly improves employment outcomes:
- College programs increase employment by 4.68 percentage points
- Vocational training increases employment by 3.94 percentage points
- Participants earn 13% more in their first year after release
- $45.3 million in additional earnings collectively in the first year post-release
Employed people don’t return to prison. They pay taxes, support families, and contribute to communities.
Breaking the Cycle
Education benefits extend across generations:
- Children of educated inmates are 52% more likely to attend college
- 40% less likely to be incarcerated themselves
- 73% of program participants enroll in college after release
- Family economic stability improves—reduced welfare reliance, higher earnings
Education breaks the cycle of incarceration that traps families for generations.
Meeting Workforce Needs
Georgia has 5 million annual job openings requiring post-secondary skills. Prison education fills that gap:
- Construction trades — Welding, carpentry, HVAC address skilled labor shortages
- Healthcare support — Medical coding, phlebotomy meet growing demand
- Technology — Coding and IT training prepare workers for tech growth
- Transportation — CDL programs address driver shortages
Employers benefit from the Work Opportunity Tax Credit when hiring program graduates. Everyone wins except the prison-industrial complex.
Take Action
Use Impact Justice AI to send advocacy emails demanding investment in prison education. The free tool crafts personalized messages to Georgia lawmakers—no experience required.
Demand:
- Expanded access to college courses for eligible inmates
- Vocational training aligned with Georgia’s workforce needs
- Post-release education support and job placement
- Investment in education over incarceration
Further Reading
- Georgia Prison Education Funding: Current Policies
- $700 Million More—And Nothing to Show for It
- GPS Informational Resources
- Pathways to Success
About Georgia Prisoners’ Speak (GPS)
Georgia Prisoners’ Speak (GPS) is a nonprofit investigative newsroom built in partnership with incarcerated reporters, families, advocates, and data analysts. Operating independently from the Georgia Department of Corrections, GPS documents the truth the state refuses to acknowledge: extreme violence, fatal medical neglect, gang-controlled dorms, collapsed staffing, fraudulent reporting practices, and unconstitutional conditions across Georgia’s prisons.
Through confidential reporting channels, secure communication, evidence verification, public-records requests, legislative research, and professional investigative standards, GPS provides the transparency the system lacks. Our mission is to expose abuses, protect incarcerated people, support families, and push Georgia toward meaningful reform based on human rights, evidence, and public accountability.
Every article is part of a larger fight — to end the silence, reveal the truth, and demand justice.
- GPS Statistics, https://gps.press/gdc-statistics/[↩]