The Economic Value of Main Report

Figure A10.5: Educational attainment of the incarcerated population

Associate degree or above 3.5%

Some college 7.8%

Less than high school 41.7%

High school graduate 47%

Source: Derived from data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics

Victim costs comprise material, medical, physical, and emotional losses suffered by crime victims. Some of these costs are hidden, while others are available in various databases. Estimates of victim costs vary widely, attributable to differences in how the costs are measured. The lower end of the scale includes only tangible out-of-pocket costs, while the higher end includes intangible costs related to pain and suffering. 64 Yet another measurable cost is the economic productivity of people who are incarcerated and are thus not employed. The measurable productivity cost is simply the number of additional incarcerated people, who could have been in the labor force, multiplied by the average income of their corresponding education levels. Statistics show that as education levels increase, the number of applicants for government-funded income assistance such as welfare and unemployment benefits declines. Welfare and unemployment claimants can receive assistance from a variety of different sources, including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and unemployment insurance. 65 Figure A10.6 relates the breakdown of TANF recipients by education level , derived from data provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 66 As shown, the demographic characteristics of TANF Income assistance

64 McCollister, Kathryn E., Michael T. French, and Hai Fang. “The Cost of Crime to Society: New Crime -Specific Estimates for Policy and Program Evaluation.” Drug and Alcohol Dependence 108, no. 1 -2 (April 2010): 98-109. 65 Medicaid is not considered in this analysis because it overlaps with the medical expenses in the analyses for smoking, obesit y, depression, and substance abuse. We also exclude any welfare benefits associated with disability and age. 66 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Family Assistance. “Characteristics and Financial Circumstances of TA NF Recipients, Fiscal Year 2022 .”

The economic value of Monroe Community College

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