Educating ex-cons

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Giving ex-cons the money to complete the high school equivalency exam may seem to some an undeserved reward for someone who has broken the law. But providing such an opportunity makes sense.

In the long run, we're all better off if ex-offenders are more employable. The lack of a high school education or its equivalency is a major obstacle for those ex-offenders who do not complete GED requirements in prison or on supervised probation. A soft job market isn't friendly to applicants with a criminal past and an inadequate education. Earning a GED would bolster the qualifications of these ex-cons enough that employers might be more willing to take a chance on them.

The partnership between Greenville Tech and the state Department of Pardons, Probation and Parole — which pays $125 for the GED-prep course — is about giving ex-cons committed to turning their lives around a chance to become self-sufficient. When that happens, they are less likely to commit future crimes and become more of a drain on a cash-strapped state.

It also will probably result in more restitution, which means crime victims would be more likely to receive compensation from a wage-earning ex-con. It is worth the cost to the state if those former prisoners use this opportunity to build a new, productive life.