Pubdate: Tue, 14 Feb 2006
Source: Journal Standard, The (Freeport, IL)
Copyright: 2006 The Journal Standard
Contact: http://www.journalstandard.com/forms/letters/
Website: http://www.journalstandard.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3182
Author: Connie Kraft
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

MORE FUNDING SHOULD GO TO SCHOOLS, NOT PRISONS

I have debated on whether or not I should write this letter every day 
for the past two weeks, but the more articles I read about not enough 
funding for education, the more I realize that this issue has to be raised.

One of the recent articles in The Journal Standard stated that the 
average cost per year per student is $8,085. Granted that is average 
cost, which means that some schools spend more than that on each 
student, and some spend less, but this is the average.

If you look at the Illinois Department of Corrections Web page, you 
will see that the average spent on a prison inmate is anywhere 
between $22,000 and $58,000. Yes, $58,000 a year on each prison 
inmate (that is more money than many people in Illinois make these 
days) while only $8,085 on students? Does anyone else see an issue here?

Another question, how much do correctional officers make? Is it more 
than our teachers? I don't want to take anything away from 
correctional officers, as I'm sure they face dangerous situations, 
but how comparable is a teacher's salary to that of a CO?

With the prison population rising at alarming rates every year, has 
anyone thought that maybe if we fully fund education, incarceration 
may not be necessary?

When will we start focusing on funding education and keeping our 
children out of prison rather than putting money into the growth of 
prisons? Which would taxpayers rather pay for, a child's education or 
their incarceration?

Connie Kraft

Lena
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman