Michigan superintendent: Let’s turn our schools into prisons

[FourScore]

Michigan superintendent: Let’s turn our schools into prisons
By Kase Wickman
Saturday, May 28th, 2011 -- 4:01 pm
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The superintendent of schools in Ithaca, Michigan, a small town in the heart of the state, had a sarcastic response to Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and the GOP-controlled state legislature's decision to strip $300 per student from the school budget.

The superintendent, Nathan Bootz, noted to local newspaper the Gratiot County Scribe that the state hadn't taken funding from prisons. In fact, some of the eliminated school funding would be redistributed to boost prison funds.

Bootz has a simple (sarcastic) solution: Treat the state's students like prisoners!

In his letter to the editor, Bootz wrote:

Consider the life of a Michigan prisoner. They get three square meals a day. Access to free health care. Internet. Cable television. Access to a library. A weight room. Computer lab. They can earn a degree. A roof over their heads. Clothing. Everything we just listed we DO NOT provide to our school children.

This is why I’m proposing to make my school a prison.

Snyder is one of the Republican governors up for recall.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/05/28/michigan-superintendent-lets-turn-our-schools-into-prisons/

[csziggy]

1. I found figures that showed we fund prisoners for far more than students

If I remember correctly, the US spends on average something like $29,000 per prisoner per year while we spend on average about $8,000 per student per year. Of course, prisoners need housing and food, but right now about a quarter of American students need housing and food. The way things are going, even more students will need full support in the future.

As far back as I have paid attention, back to the 1970s, the same discrepancy has been true of the amount of funding for prisoners versus students. Maybe if we had reversed those levels, fewer people would be in prison now and more people could be productive members of society. And the USA would not have one of the - if not THE - largest per capita prison populations in the world.

[TheDebbieDee]

4. I think we in the US spend a lot more than $29,000/year

housing prisoners. I thought it was more like $75,000/year. I'll go research that........

[csziggy]

6. I had researched it several weeks ago

And my memory is that $29,000 was an average cost per prisoner. I expect that figure will go up as we turn those duties over to for profit corporations.

[Viking 1]

2. MASSIVE Rec

[Kurovski]

3. I love smart alecs.

The Simpsons had combined classrooms: inmates with students in one episode.

Won't somebody please think of the revenue and savings!!

[WinkyDink]

5. Awesome revelation. And why we might actually see more crime, no joke.