I found this map through a friend’s link on Facebook. It shows how each state pays it’s new teachers compared to the amount that each state spends on each inmate. I was quite surprised to see the variance in starting pay throughout the United States.

In summary:

• Alabama is the only state to pay their new teachers $20,000 more than what is spent on each inmate
• 23 states pay their new teachers $10,000 – $19,999 more than what is spent on each inmate
• 6 states pay their new teachers $5,000 – $9,999 more than what is spent on each inmate
• 8 states pay their new teachers $2,000-$2,999 more than what is spent on each inmate
• 6 states pay their new teachers about the same that is spent on each inmate (+/- $1,999)
• Massachusetts & Oregon spend $2,000-$2,999 more on each inmate than each new teacher
• Wisconsin spends $3,000-$3,999 more on each inmate than each new teacher
• Rhode Island spends $4,000-$4,999 more on each inmate than each new teacher
• Maine & Minnesota spend $5,000 more on each inmate than each new teacher

Fortunately, more states (38) pay their new teachers more than inmates. But the larger issues comes to my mind. Do these inmates even belong in jail? Are they being incarcerated due to a non-violent crime? Conversely, do violent criminals need more attention and therefore more money needs to be spent on them? Should we, as a society, be paying our new teachers more money in order to prevent people from not receiving a complete education, resorting to crime, and ending up in jail? I will not attempt to answer these questions, but I will say that America has more people incarcerated than any other country in the world and I hope this changes.

*The District of Columbia is excluded from this map