New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced a new NY education prison plan “for the state to pay for college courses for inmates.”

A reformist type of idea, Cuomo gave a speech on Sunday that highlighted his reasoning for wanting to create the program.

According to The New York Times, the liberal governor wants to ensure that inmates are rehabilitated prior to re-entry into society. Cuomo pointed out that giving prisoners a chance at a better life when they are released is preferable to seeing prisons as “warehouses.” Letting prisoners essentially sit in cells for the duration of their stays doesn’t help anyone — not the individuals, and certainly not society that could benefit from better-educated people at their releases.

Paying for the NY education prison plan

To pay for the idea, Governor Cuomo will use $7.5 million in criminal forfeiture funds from the Manhattan district attorney and obtain $7.5 million match from private funds.

The money for the plan is part of a larger initiative to alter education in the state of New York. Cuomo also recently announced a plan to find an additional $100 million for community schools that go beyond typical academics to reach students in their lives beyond the classroom walls.

But at the heart of his plan is his want to secure future opportunities for ex-inmates. Doing so may only be done by performing some sort of rehabilitation through education.

Education truly is a lifestyle changer. It’s never easy for ex-criminals to establish a life for themselves after being locked up, but with the right educational training, it may be easier. The hope of an education is also powerful. Having that hope could potentially make it easier for these ex-cons to aspire for better lives outside their cells and society will certainly reap the benefits of that mentality.