One Year of Prison Costs More Than One Year at Princeton

One year at Princeton University: $37,000.
One year at a New Jersey state prison: $44,000.

Prison and college are the two most divergent paths one can take in life. Whereas one is a positive experience that increases lifetime earning potential, the other is a near dead end, which is why it's so disturbing that the lion's share of government funding goes toward incarceration.

Why the policies of who you vote for matters...

State spending on corrections has exploded in recent years, as incarceration rates have more than tripled in a majority of states in the past few decades. At the same time, spending on education has actually declined in the majority of states since 2008.

Rates of violent crime and property crime have actually DECREASED over the years, even while incarceration rates have RISEN. Therefore, it appears that states’ more aggressive incarceration policies for petty non-violent crimes are behind the higher prison rates.

It would be much cheaper for taxpayers to pay for college education than what we currently pay to prisons to house inmates.

HERE ARE THE FACTS

New York City paid $167,731 to feed, house and guard each inmate last year, according to a study the Independent Budget Office.

The annual average taxpayer cost was $31,286 per inmate. New York State was the most expensive, with an average cost of $60,000 per prison.

The average cost for college:

Public 2-Year College: $3,347
Public 4-Year College: $9,139
Public 4-Year College (out-of-state): $22,958
Private 4-Year College: $31,231

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