Working Families Party Backs Gov. Cuomo On Plan To Provide College Courses To Prisoners
BY KEN LOVETT
Days after reportedly discussing whether to run a potential candidate against Gov. Cuomo, the labor-backed Working Families Party was full of praise for the Democratic governor for proposing the state provide college courses to prisoners.
"We applaud the Governor's bold initiative to combat the high rates of recidivism in New York through the power of education," said WFP State Director Bill Lipton. "Sending thousands of young men and women to prison knowing that nearly half of them will return is no way to run a justice system.
"Offering a college education puts their lives on the right track, makes our communities safer, and ultimately frees up funds to invest back into working and middle class families across New York. Along with his efforts to raise the age so that children are no longer treated like adults in New York's brutalizing prison system, Governor Cuomo has demonstrated strong, smart leadership on criminal justice."
Cuomo's plan has been under attack by Republicans who say taxpayer money shouldn't be diverted to helping inmates get college degrees, especially when those on the outside are paying so much for higher education
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