tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post6124473926045739885..comments2024-03-25T20:06:39.794-05:00Comments on Grits for Breakfast: Don't deny education opportunities to ex-offendersGritsforbreakfasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-3424756338484499762007-08-14T08:29:00.000-05:002007-08-14T08:29:00.000-05:00Amen! Just because someone has a previous record, ...Amen! Just because someone has a previous record, doesn't guarantee they will do the same things again....and just because someone has no prior record, doesn't mean they won't do something crazy. The whole idea of reaching the status of "EX-offender" should be just that. After the completion of sentence, probation, rehab, etc., the person moves on....I think in the case of non-violent offenses, the criminal record should NOT be a lifelong deterrent....after all, if someone is perpetually frustrated and disappointed by a society that says "you screwed up in the past, it's too late now", they will definitely return to crime and endanger society.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-35987434150001204252007-04-10T10:04:00.000-05:002007-04-10T10:04:00.000-05:00As a former wrong-doer, I would hate for this to p...As a former wrong-doer, I would hate for this to pass as I know it would have directly affected my education. I committed a crime between my sophomore and junior years and was subsequently placed on probation since I was a first time offender. I have since graduated with a bachelor's and master's degrees and am currently working for a university. I cannot begin to think what would have happened to me if I had not been allowed to continue my education.<BR/><BR/>One thing that wasn't mentioned is the cost of this bill. It will cost lots of money to screen current students plus future applicants which adds to the increasing cost of education. On top of that, add the cost of incarcerating repeat offenders. <BR/><BR/>I understand wanting to make campuses more safe, but as you said the results might increase safety on campus, but decrease saftey everywhere else.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for bringing this out in the open. As you said, one of the only ways for people to better themselves after being convicted/adjudicated is to become educated.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-87905299748831290252007-04-10T09:20:00.000-05:002007-04-10T09:20:00.000-05:00It seems people are making decisions based on maki...It seems people are making decisions based on making people feel safer while actually doing the opposite! One of the things I learned while getting my psychology degree was that reality has little to do with how we feel about different things. Our perception is what, we as human beings, depend on to guide us. All perceptions are real but may be invalid. Our past experiences and the things we have been taught influence how we perceive things. An example would be the differing perception of race relations for two people; one raised by the Grand Dragon of the KKK vs. the other being raised in a bi-racial family. Two different perceptions based on totally different data but very real to each of the two people.<BR/><BR/>Logic does not apply to perceptions; only to reality. Thanks Grits for the data to help bring our perceptions closer to reality. I for one, do not want to feel safe, I want to be safe.<BR/><BR/>Education is one of the things in life that changes people. I have always felt we needed to invest much more in education so we do not have to invest so much in prisons. Many times I have wondered what great things might we, as a nation, done if we put all the wasted money from the current war into educating and feeding people.<BR/><BR/>Just a few thoughts from an old yellow dog democrat.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com