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Thursday, April 7, 2011

Benjamin Todd Jealous: Prison Spending Bleeds the Education System

Benjamin Todd Jealous: Prison Spending Bleeds the Education System

Prison Spending Bleeds the Education System

Posted: 04/ 7/11 10:35 AM ET

By Benjamin Todd Jealous & Rod Paige

There is a bipartisan tide of lawmakers who are trying to fix our nation's out-of-control corrections system, and make funding for education the priority.

California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill to transfer thousands of nonviolent offenders from state prisons to county jails, an admirable effort to reduce prison overcrowding and make treatment programs more effective. In Virginia, Gov. Robert McDonnell is working to close eight prison facilities and use that money to support higher education.

And Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger asked in his 2010 State of the State address: "What does it say