Where I live, in MI, the state spends more on prison than on college. I would certainly love to shift the costs away from the penitentiary and toward the academy. That way, only the accounting is different. No new taxes. Lower fees for undergrads. More educated population. Fewer people incarcerated (poignant, given the administration's new position on drugs). It seems like everyone can win.
Wouldn't it be nice if things worked that simply? Referendum on the ballot reading: Should Michigan release prisoners with non-violent drug convictions and allocate the money that would have been spent incarcerating them towards tuition support for underprivileged students?: Yes___ or No___ Things should be that simple.
Will there really be lower fees though, or will that money simply go towards new projects/buildings and more faculty at a college? That's the issue at hand. Where I am, it's considered a success that fees are being raised only 3.4% this year (a reduction from the 4% average over the past few years). I don't think lower fees will happen, but possibly a reduction in the increase of fees.