First published 2019
Every year, roughly 650,000 former prisoners return to communities across America, often carrying nothing but spare change and a bus ticket. They face towering obstacles: employers who won't hire them, landlords who won't rent to them, and communities that view them with suspicion. Without education or job training, many drift back toward crime. Justice Department data reveals that 68 percent are arrested again within three years, and 77 percent within five years. Gingrich argues that education and workforce programs represent the key to breaking this cycle. He brings together voices from across the political divide, including reform advocates, former inmates who transformed their lives through prison education, teachers working inside correctional facilities, and policy experts. The book makes the case that investing in prisoner education serves both humanitarian and practical purposes, reducing recidivism while giving individuals genuine opportunities for redemption.
Genres: politics, social-issues, education, non-fiction
Vibes: thought-provoking
Tropes: redemption
186 pages · Hardcover · Rowman & Littlefield