IN- Indiana wants to trim cost of educating inmates

10-4-2009 Indiana:

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — Indiana wants to cut the cost of educating prison inmates, and that's leading to increased competition among state colleges jockeying for contracts.

The State Student Assistance Commission is considering capping the amount of money it spends on state prison inmates at $120 per credit hour. Six colleges provided postsecondary education to inmates last year at rates ranging from $76 per credit hour at Ivy Tech to $162 at Indiana State University.

Ivy Tech says paying its rates for associate degree programs could have saved the commission nearly $2.9 million. Other universities say they can be competitive.

Gov. Mitch Daniels says he encourages the competition as Indiana tries to educate prisoners and give them job skills to reduce recidivism rates. ..Source.. by AP