Dr. Alford Young Jr., the \Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Sociology and African American Studies at the University of Michigan, insists that access to public education for current prisoners will determine the future of Black male incarceration.
“Soon, African-American communities will experience large influxes of ex-offenders [incarcerated in the 1980s and 1990s] attempting to reintegrate themselves into society,” Young says. “Many will say, ‘I need a job,’” noting that access to public education in the form of GEDs and high school diplomas will play a pivotal role in the future of these men and this nation.
“It is cheaper to educate people than it is to incarcerate them,” Young says.
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