Comments about ‘72 prison inmates graduate’

This program is really great. Unfortunately most of those graduates will never be allowed to benefit from thier education here in Utah. They will have to leave the state in order to use their degrees.

The college program at gunnison use to offer two types of degree fields. psyhcology and accounting. Even with degrees obtained the state of Utah continues to refuse to license anyone in those fields if they have been convicted of a felony.

who pays for their education? and what about the victims of some of these inmates that are so traumatized or not with us anymore that don't get the same chance at an education. To those that have minor criminal charges congrats.

Sure would love to get a discount on tuition as well!

Only 88 bucks per semester? Perhaps I should get thrown in jail so I can afford to go to school?

I commend them for doing something with there lives to better themselves after they have made the mistakes they made in there lives that put them in prison. To me this shows they realized they made a mistake and want to change there lives to be able to go out into society and make a difference. I only hope that employers will give them that opportunity to do so.

If we dont ever help these people back in society then nothing will turn for the positive and continuances in criminal activity will abound and it will only do us a disservice. We dont know were a person who has commited a crime began their life and the situations that may have encouraged their behavior. When they do get out if they are better educated and able to work all the better. Then have them do service and pay monetary sums to their victim or to a fund for such.
By constantly making a victim always feel like a victim, it does nothing to help them overcome what has happened to them.
I also think the degrees are applied to persons that did not do major heinous crimes.
I believe everyone has made mistakes in their lives, some have just chosen worse ones than others.
For the 88 dollar semester quote, I'd rather a prisoner get a degree and work when they get out than commit more crimes and go back to prison and pay more to house them.

I am so happy to see that steps are being taken to improve the odds that these graduates will be less likely to offend again, and that will increase their odds of becoming contributing citizens to society. I would more than happy to have my tax dollars go to programs of this sort. I don't care what crimes they have committed, if they are going to be back in society I prefer they be prepared to support themselves and are equipped with some self-respect and dignity. Way to go grads!!!

I'm currently paying off student loans. I've never even received a speeding ticket in my life. Where's my tuition break? I'm all for people getting a second chance but not only did I have to pay full tuition with no assistance because I had a good job while I went to school, but my taxes go to pay tuition for convicted criminals. That is bull crap. They should have to pay for school like the rest of us struggling to make ends meet.

$88 is a reduced rate? Are you kidding me? That is free when you compare it with what law abiding citizens have to pay for a semester of college education. What's next? Steak and lobster for dinner.

If I go to jail can I get reimbursed for my college education at the $88 a semester rate? It might be worth it.

I divorced the father of my three children back in 1989 for domestic violence which went on for 13 years. I raised them my self. All three finshed high school.
I myself went to mountain west college work days a full time and went to college fulltime and got an associate degree in paralegal. I should have broken the law it would almost been free for to go to college.As for my son has well.He is working on he's bachelor's degree, from there he is going on to get he's master. No one has help him with any tuition. My daughter wants to go to college also, never been in trouble with the law, she has to pay for her college also. The inmates that are in prison that committed the crimes they knew better,did they stop and think who they were hurting causeing these crimes, NOT! We all start out with a clean slate it's up to you to keep it that way. So why should we help them.They have there chance like everybody else. I fell no sadness for them.

all you law abiding citizens are helping to pay the cost. But you also pay the costs for their incarceration. You pay the costs in higher prices for their crimes. You subsidize all of public education, and you pay the cost of welfare and foodstamps...Why should this be so upsetting? We all work until May to help those the government has determined can't help themselves (like Congressmen) but then you get to keep the other 1/2 of your income. That's life in this Republic.

This is the type of political charades that our politicians use to make themselves look better. It costs an average of $55,000 per inmate a year to keep them in prison because we provide all of their essential and non essential needs. An ivy league education costs, with room and board, $42,000 per year. They should be outside farming for their own food and performing cheap labor for the state. Just leave it up to the politicianc to screw it up again. Commit murder get a full ride scholarship to a degree

So would it be better if the inmates were released with no job skills and no education. I personally want my tax dollars to go toward educating someone then have that same person get picked up again and sent back to prison because they had no hope or skills to start their lives again. If you think about it I'm sure you will see that no matter what your taxes are going to be used in some way for that inmate. So they might as well get a discount on their education, get a good job and then they can be taxed to help the next inmate!

CONGRADULATIONS!!! Who cares if you are in jail, prison or what. If you work hard and make the grades you have every right to be proud of what you did. Being a single mom with 3 special needs kids and in college, it is wonderful to know that I am setting an example. If I was behind bars that would cause me to want to work all the harder. I wish them all the best of luck!!!

I think this is RIDICULOUS.... as a college student I spend around $2,000 semester for schooling, i guess that is the consequence of being a law abiding citizen. Why should these felons have the opportunity to obtain a degree for nearly 1/20 of the amount that I pay. It seems to me that it might not be a bad idea to committ a crime get a four year sentence and get the degree that i am currently paying for at an extremely discounted rate. What kind of system is this?????

g- unit is right. I don't think my Tax dollars should go for inmates getting a college degree when I can't afford to send my own children to college. Maybe i should tell them to commit a crime go to jail so that you can get free college classes.

I have no problem giving them a 2nd chance. But this merely increases their debt to society. $88 doesn't cut it. Make it like any other college loan that they must pay back once hired.

Cool, a bunch of Aryan Nations brothers gettin' their GEDs. It just makes my heart swell at the thought. Now when they get out they'll be contributin' members of society!!!

It costs $1329.75 in tuition per semester to be a full time student at SLCC. The inmate program apparently costs $88 a semester. Before we get too fired up about "freebies" to inmates, I'd like to know what mechanisms the college uses to make up the difference.