1.  Reform laws to be more compassionate and efficient
   2.  Institute several layers of education for all inmates
   3.  Impliment a work program for inmates
   4.  A few simple changes to our Prison System will radically reduce costs and repeat offenders

Texas has the highest incarceration rate in the world, just its non-violent prison population is the 2nd highest total incarceration rate in the US & higher than the whole prison population of the UK or New York.  Only California has more prisoners, total, than Texas' non-violent population.  Approximately 80% of the non-violent inmates are there for minor drug possession and distribution.

I met a guy that had been incarcerated in an Alabama prison.  He explained that in Alabama, if you have useful skills, you are able to work for the state.  He only got paid a credit of $40/month, but that was enough to cover his essential items, like soap, shampoo, razors, cigarettes, and some snacks.  He really enjoyed the program and didn't understand why more states didn't utilize it.  I ask that question, too.

If the inmates didn't have enough skills to maintain a job that payed well enough to encourage legal employment, why would a prison stay, make it any better?  For those that do have skills, those skills will deteriorate while they are incarcerated.  If we expect our criminals to pay their debt to society, why don't we make them work to do it?  I would like to design and implement an educational program for all Texas Prisons.  It would combine Academic Education, Vocational Education, and Life Decision Training for all inmates.

The Solution

The first thing we need for Prison Reform is Legal Reform, more intelligent and practical laws lead to fewer prisoners.  There are several new policies we need to institute, that not only correct the abuse, but insure that offenders do not return to the Prison System.

Education brings freedom, destroys prejudice and poverty, and empowers people to be able to control their own lives.  Academic Education would teach basic math, reading, language, and compositional skills.  This would give inmates the ability to communicate, fill out applications and understand instruction and training.  Vocational Education would teach them job skills for industries that need skilled labor, elevating the level of employment and their pay scale.

Life Decision Training would teach inmates ethics, professionalism, and the proper way to communicate and treat other people.  Not only would it teach manners, and appropriate actions at a job, it would teach why these things are the best course of action.  The course would give examples of actual scenarios and show what happens when you do things properly, and the consequences, when  you don't.

In the final analysis, while incarcerated our prison inmates would be helping the very society they victimized, and upon release, would have  the tools they need to build a better life for themselves and their families.