Governor Baker, Lt. Governor Polito and Cabinet Officials Tour Administration’s Innovative State Reentry Program

Governor Baker, Lt. Governor Polito and Cabinet Officials Tour Administration’s Innovative State Reentry Program

BOSTON – Governor Charlie Baker, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, Secretary of Public Safety and Security Dan Bennett, Secretary for Administration and Finance Kristen Lepore and Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Ronald L. Walker, II today toured the Baker-Polito Administration’s new School of Reentry, which provides inmates preparing to reenter their communities an all-inclusive service model that encompasses education, vocational training, counseling, job preparation and personal development.

“Making the successful transition from incarceration back into society is fraught with challenges not the least of which is bridging the skills gap,” said Governor Baker. “This program provides inmates with a range of assistance to help them set their lives on a positive course, further their education and prepare for a successful and productive life in their communities.”

“The students selected for the inaugural class of this school have demonstrated a commitment to leaving their pasts behind,” said Lt. Governor Polito. “We are likewise committed to the opportunities they have for success by providing effective programming like this to help them accomplish their goals.”

Students receive six hours of daily instruction with the expectation of additional evening studies in preparation for a High School Equivalency Test (HiSET) and discipline for further post-secondary education. Graduates will receive college credits ranging from 6-9 credit hours toward HiSET testing, remedial coursework and technology training through partnerships with Bunker Hill and Roxbury Community Colleges.

“With 9,500 inmates in the DOC system, Massachusetts has one of the lowest incarceration rates in the nation,” said Public Safety Secretary Dan Bennett. “With the help of positive programs like this we are aiming to further reduce our recidivism rate and see a corresponding decrease in crime and prison costs.”

Launched under the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) in March of this year at the Department of Correction’s Boston Pre-Release Center in Roslindale, the School of Reentry provides 25 minimum security men with a 12 to 18-month residential opportunity. Substance abuse treatment is mandatory for students and the program is not offered to inmates who are incarcerated for first or second degree murder or sex offense convictions.