According to a new study by researchers at the federal Department of Education’s Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development, over a 33-year span, corrections spending by state and local governments rose by 324%, climbing from $17 billion in 1979-1980 to $71 billion in 2012-2013. That represented more than a threefold increase for state and…

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By Tony Shaw Would our state rather send our kids to prison than educate them? Governor Doug Ducey’s budget confirms this with his intention to cut education spending while budgeting for thousands more private prison beds at a cost of $52 million to house nonviolent offenders. As a private attorney for 42 years I have…

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By Robert Robb The knock on Gov. Doug Ducey’s budget that seems to have gained the most traction is that it shortchanges K-12 education in favor of prisons. Now, an argument can be made that Arizona underfunds K-12 education. In fact, I’ve made it. There’s a reasonable discussion to be had about Arizona’s incarceration rates.…

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  The study, conducted by legal commentator Christopher Zoukis, concludes that offering post-secondary and academic education to prisoners can cut $60 billion from the national budget every year – without scrapping existing programs. Zoukis has compiled his research and findings into College for Convicts: The Case for Higher Education in American Prisons, a game-changing new…

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By Zeeshan Aleem / Policy.Mic Hardly a day goes by without a member of the media or policy world pronouncing that America’s education system is in dire straits. There are constant laments over how poorly the U.S. fares by international standards, its failure to produce literate students and its unsightly levels of racial segregation. There’s a massive…

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