ILLINOIS ELIMINATES STATE FINANCING FOR HIGHER EDUCATION IN PRISONS

Gov. George H. Ryan of Illinois announced last week that financing for
higher education for the state's prisoners would be eliminated from next
year's budget, a move that would cancel classes for 25,000 students and
could lead to layoffs at more than a dozen colleges.

The decision comes in the midst of a state budget crisis. According to a
spokesman for the governor, Illinois spends $5.4-million a year for college
programs in prisons, all of which will be eliminated to help make up an
estimated $500-million revenue shortfall.

Lake Land College, in Mattoon, will be among the institutions hit hardest
by the cuts. Robert K. Luther, president of the community college, says
Lake Land will have to eliminate 73 full-time positions and 74 part-time
positions -- about 20 percent of its workers.

There is some dispute over exactly how much the state spends annually to
educate inmates. Mr. Luther put that number at roughly $14-million, with
$4.1-million going to Lake Land alone. Sergio Molina, a spokesman for the
state's Department of Corrections, said those figures were a
"miscalculation," but said he could not be more specific.

Lake Land has offered inmates associate degrees in subjects such as
business management since the late 1960s. Mr. Luther called the governor's
decision "bad public policy," pointing to studies that he said show that
college programs in prisons lower the rate of recidivism. "In the long run,
it's not going to save the state money," he said.

MacMurray College, in Jacksonville, plans to eliminate 38 full-time
positions and an undetermined number of part-time jobs because of the
budget cuts. Lawrence D. Bryan, president of the liberal-arts college, said
he also believes that cutting the programs is shortsighted. "Tragically,
this decision will please those for whom 'lock 'em up and throw away the
key' makes good sense," Mr. Bryan said.

Mr. Luther said he hopes that Governor Ryan will reconsider the cuts before
February 1, when they are scheduled to take effect. Mr. Molina said letters
officially notifying colleges that the funds will be eliminated were
already in the mail.