There are similarities in Ball State's residence halls and the cellblocks of Pendleton Correctional Facility. Prisoners have access to a college education for thousands less than a free citizen. These were just a few tidbits of information gathered on a tour of Pendleton this past week.
The first thing of note was that there are essentially two different complexes. The reformatory is the facility for the "hardened" criminals. It also looks more like the prison you would typically expect to find in movies like "Shawshank Redemption." The other complex is the Correctional Industrial Facility, and that is where the "productive" prisoners stay.
Indiana's prison system is considered one of the best in the nation. Not everyone, however, has pride in that recognition. Our correctional system costs taxpayers quite a bit of cash, and right now that isn't overly abundant for many Hoosiers.
The Department of Corrections also employs many residents of Indiana. Budget cuts are affecting the Pendleton facilities because of our current budgetary crisis. On the tour of the facility, one of the guides said, "It won't make you rich, but it'll pay the bills and it won't ever get boring."
Inmates at the facility have keys to their rooms where they have access to personal belongings they can earn through working. Actually, Ball State's meal-card dining plan resembles the plan that inmates have for buying goods and such to make their "stay" a little more pleasant.
Prices are less for these products too, but the most disheartening statistic for a college student to hear is how little an inmate has to pay for an education if he chooses one. Fifteen dollars could get an inmate the same education for which a law-abiding citizen would pay thousands of dollars a year.
The difference that makes all of it worth paying for is being able to choose where we want to go. Being able to wake up in the morning and decide whether or not you want to skip class or take a sick day is something these criminals do not have.
It might cost us money to incarcerate prisoners, and that doesn't make us happy sometimes. It is like paying for somebody else's mistakes. It is prison, however, and although there are opportunities for the inmates to become better, it is so they don't end up back in jail costing taxpayers more money.
Rather than say I agree or disagree with the current philosophy of the Department of Corrections, I simply think the program is doing the best it can with the resources available.
Complaining won't change the system, which is just too bad because if it did, life would be perfect and we wouldn't need prison. The people employed for the Department of Corrections, however, seem to at least be trying to change.
Write to Justin at jtsyndram@bsu.edu
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
