My son got arrested for letting a lot of “minor” traffic tickets that he let go until he finally got a warrant issued and he is in jail for 6 months.
The inmates are released back into the general population with no rehabilitation required or even available. My idea: Since the percentage of inmates in this correctional facility (privately owned) have no High School Diploma (92% at this facility) Why not make G.E.D classes mandatory and require them to get the G.E.D.? Because the percentage of inmates who return to this facility 2 times or more is 73%
how would the average taxpayer voice their idea? I know it would probably be up to a Judge making this part of their incarceration requirements/ I know very little about politics. I would love to know how this aspect of the law works.
Additional details: You see, my son was a high school drop-out couldn’t get a job, got bored…got into trouble, but I know NOW that he was bored in school therefore just quit. He is very intelligent, this is his second time in jail. Can’t get into a college without a high school eqiv., now his drivers license is revoked. His father and I have been talking about his future and how it looks bleek. So, that’s how the idea came about. Because the way we look at it, there needs to be a way to offer some kind of “answer”. (Yes, he was raised right. our daughter graduated with honors and went to college.)
Its just a viscious cycle that I am struggling with. He now knows that he should have listened to us and tells us this, but with no education, no dr. license,,,,,aarrrggggg
#1 by RockIt on February 13, 2010 - 12:23 am
Compulsory GED sounds heavy handed and what do you do with someone who is operating at a 2nd grade level versus 10th grade level for I am sure the entire spectrum of idiots are incarcerated
#2 by jamesmom2 on February 13, 2010 - 1:15 am
contact your congressman
#3 by Artman on February 13, 2010 - 2:04 am
The problem is the “mandatory” part of you idea.
And some correctional institution already have programs like that but they work on a voluntary basis since they can’t waste time and money on people that don’t want to learn; also “problematic” inmates would create a bad environment for those who really want to learn.
EDIT
OK, going back on “how the average Joe make a law”:
> First you need support from the community (nobody is going to care if your idea is rejected by 99% of the community) so you need to “sell” you idea to the community and asking them to sign a petition.
Also if you get the support of reputable civil groups would help.
> You need to support your arguments with verifieble data (so you need evidence to support your numbers of: no High School Diploma = 92%; percentage of inmates who return to that facility = 73%)
> You need to clearly articulate the benefits that such a law would bring to the community.
> More importantly you need to convince the people that actually make the laws (state legislators, congressmen and so on).
So in simple words: it’s a lot of work and long road.
#4 by regerugged on February 13, 2010 - 2:40 am
Laws are written by state legislators. Contact your state representative. Ex-convicts have very little chance of getting jobs when they are released. Having a college degree might not help. The solution: don’t go to jail in the first place.