Source: U.S. News & World Report
Spending on state and local prisons has increased at triple the rate of funding for public education over the last three decades, according to a new analysis by the U.S. Department of Education.
The report, released Thursday, shows that that even when population changes are factored in, 23 states increased per capita spending on corrections at more than double the rate of increases in per-pupil spending on schools, from preschool through grade 12. And seven states — Idaho, Michigan, Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, and West Virginia — increased their corrections budgets more than five times as fast.
“Budgets reflect our values, and the trends revealed in this analysis are a reflection of our nation’s priorities that should be revisited,” said U.S. Secretary of Education John King.
