Georgia spends $60,000 per year to incarcerate one person. Prison education programs cost $5,000 per student and reduce recidivism by 43%. The math is clear—education works. Programs like the Bard Prison Initiative achieve less than 4% recidivism compared to 40% nationally. But Georgia barely invests in education behind bars. Only 9% of eligible inmates complete college courses, despite 64% meeting academic requirements. The state chooses warehousing over rehabilitation. 1
What the Research Shows
University-prison partnerships produce measurable results:
- 43% lower odds of returning to prison for education program participants
- 65% higher employment rates post-release for Bard Prison Initiative graduates
- 5% reoffending rate for Inside-Out program participants vs. 76.6% nationally
- $4-5 saved for every $1 spent on prison education within three years
These aren’t theoretical benefits. They’re documented outcomes from programs Georgia refuses to expand.
Types of Programs That Work
Different approaches serve different needs:
- Joint learning programs — University students and inmates study together, breaking down barriers
- Remote education — Secure technology enables access despite physical restrictions
- Post-release support — Programs like Project Rebound achieve 65% graduation rates
- Vocational training — Directly prepares inmates for jobs in local economies
Project Rebound graduates at a higher rate than the general student population. Education transforms outcomes.
Why Georgia Falls Behind
Georgia faces the same barriers other states have overcome:
- Only 4% of correctional education budgets go to post-secondary education nationally
- 35% annual instructor turnover — far above normal academic environments
- 78% of prison educators face challenges bringing materials past security
- Only 17% of programs have secure internet access for education
These are solvable problems. Other states solved them. Georgia chooses not to.
System-Wide Benefits
Education programs improve entire facilities:
- Reduced violence — Fewer disciplinary incidents and violent events
- Better staff-prisoner relations — Healthier facility environment
- Improved infrastructure — More courses and better learning spaces
- Policy changes — Larger education budgets and more mentors
Educated inmates create safer prisons. Georgia’s facilities are among the most violent in the nation—and among the least educated.
Take Action
Use Impact Justice AI to send advocacy emails demanding expanded prison education in Georgia. The free tool crafts personalized messages to Georgia lawmakers—no experience required.
Demand:
- University partnerships with Georgia prisons
- Expanded access to college courses for eligible inmates
- Vocational training aligned with Georgia’s job market
- Investment in rehabilitation 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/[↩]