Published: September 30, 2009 09:32 pm         

ISU official: IDOC ‘playing games’ on inmate education

TERRE HAUTE — Indiana State University on Wednesday made its pitch to continue providing post-secondary education — including associate degrees — to Indiana’s state prison inmates.

“I don’t feel very good about it,” ISU Provost Jack Maynard said after the 10-minute presentation before the State Student Assistance Commission of Indiana (SSACI). “It seems to me the IDOC (Indiana Department of Corrections) has made its decision and we’re playing games here today.”

SSACI wants to reduce the amount it spends on post-secondary education of prison inmates — and Ivy Tech Community College has indicated it can get the job done less expensively.

The Department of Corrections and Ivy Tech previously presented a joint proposal on how to accomplish this. Now SSACI is considering capping the amount of money it spends on state prison inmates at $120 per credit hour.

Last year, Ivy Tech was funded at $76 per credit hour. Five other colleges that provide education, including ISU, were paid from $144 to $293 per credit hour.

The new rate would enable Ivy Tech to expand programming in the state’s correctional institutions. Last year, it had programming in only three of the state’s institutions.

State officials say the move would save the state money, free up more state financial aid for non-offenders and provide inmates with skills that could help them find jobs when they get out of prison — hopefully reducing recidivism.

On Wednesday, ISU made a presentation indicating it can provide education at the associate degree level for $120 per credit hour, and bachelor’s level education for $150 per credit hour. Its proposal calls for a minimum of four sites and 400 student-inmates at the associate and bachelor’s level. ISU has provided corrections education in state prisons since 1988.

It currently has 347 students in four state prison facilities: Wabash Valley-Carlisle, Plainfield, Putnamville and Rockville. About 80 percent of the course work is at the associate degree level.

This year, ISU projects its income from the program will be $1.2 million, but it also projects a budget shortfall of $180,000.

Other colleges that provide education in the state’s prisons also made presentations Thursday, but Ivy Tech did not.

SSACI officials said no decision has been made, but Maynard suggested the decision “will be made by someone else.”

“We left not very optimistic and with lots of questions,” Maynard said. The concern remains that the intent is for Ivy Tech to provide associate-degree and vocational education in the state’s prison system, he said.

“I said we need to know by Christmas at the latest so we can plan what we will do next year,” Maynard said. ISU does have money invested in books and computers for its corrections program.

There would be many transitional issues if Ivy Tech becomes the provider of two-year and vocational education in Indiana prisons, Maynard said.

If ISU no longer provides associate degree education in the prisons, it stands to lose enrollment and income, and ISU employees who teach the courses will be affected.

Claudia Braman, SSACI executive director, said the next step is to obtain a legal opinion. “From a legal perspective, we don’t know whose responsibility this is” to make the changes proposed by the Department of Corrections and Ivy Tech, she said.

She doesn’t believe any changes could be implemented before next fall. SSACI will compile its information and present a report to legal staff within three to four weeks, she said. “The bottom line is we don’t know who has power and who has oversight of this program,” Braman said. “We’re trying to decide if we can legally make a decision on this, or does it need to be decided from a legislative standpoint.”



Sue Loughlin can be reached at (812) 231-4235 or sue.loughlin@tribstar.com.

     

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