Inmate education caters to all kinds of educational tastes and needs. Some inmates prefer GED or vocational programs, while others prefer less formal topics, such as organized sports, and cultural programs, such as acting classes or book clubs. Which of these (if any) are available depends on the prison.
The U.S. is a bit behind the rest of the developed world in terms of inmate education. Pell Grants (federal education grants) were made available for prisoners in 1994, but less than 1 percent of the Pell Grant budget goes to prisoners.
However, the Higher Education Act's Grant for Youthful Offenders gives an additional $17 million to the cause, but with the caveats that recipients be under 25 and sentenced to less than five years. Any further money for inmate education needs to come from individual states, most of which are far too cash-strapped by an overburdened system to make a meaningful contribution.
The Council of Europe has set rigorous standards for educating its prisoners. In stark contrast to those in the U.S., prisons in participating European countries are required to, among other things, have well-stocked libraries, offer vocational programs that correspond to trends in the labor market, and be all-inclusive, which means that all prisoners can participate, regardless of their ages or crimes committed.
It's debatable as to whether spending money giving inmates their GEDs is an economically sound option, because it is difficult to separate cause and effect with regards to GEDs, repeat offenses and the amount of money saved in relation to the amount spent.
However, vocational training offers very real savings for governments and communities. Many prisons operate print shops, which teach inmates valuable skills while producing orders at a fraction of the price charged by standard shops. Hampden County, Massachusetts, like many other prisons, teaches welding. Part of the program involves cheaply welding stainless steel benches and barriers for K-9 units. The taxpayer saves money, and the prisoner learns a valuable, marketable skill.
One criticism of inmate education is that it "coddles" prisoners. This is not necessarily the case; after all, going to and engaging in class is fairly hard work, especially for someone without a strong background of formal education (as is the case with many prisoners). What's more, the Harris County, Texas, sheriff's department makes the valid point that without education programs, most prisoners are either watching TV or sleeping anyway.