Cost for a year at: Harvard $56k Nursing home $84k NYC jail $168k (#s: @Harvard, @RWJF, @nytimes)I saw this tweet and thought it was interesting to note that for the costs of jailing someone we could either provide completely free housing to two elderly people or send two people Ivy League schools for an education full ride. We have to think differently about how we allocate our resources and what is the impact that we are having on the social, political, and economic outcomes of our population. I am sure there is not a single politician out there that would advocate for a law that court order a criminal to community college while on parole and pay for the courses while they attended, but it certainly would be a cheaper alternative with a far greater impact on socio-economic fabric of a community.
— Conrad Hackett (@conradhackett) March 1, 2014
Sources
Harvard Costs
NYC Jail Costs
Nursing Home Costs