The Massachusetts Department of Correction (MDOC) is a state agency that is part of the Executive Office of Public Safety. There are 17 correctional facilities administered by MDOC. On July 1, 2001 there were 10,095 criminally sentenced men and women in the custody of the MDOC. Within the correctional facilities there are many worthwhile programs designed to assist offenders to make a smooth reentry into the community upon their release. Substance Abuse Counseling, HIV Prevention, Chaplaincy Services, Community Volunteers, Parenting Education, and Youth Outreach are just some of the many programs that are offered at the state correctional facilities. Among the most important of these are the academic and vocational programs. Through the efforts of adult educators in the correctional facilities, many ex-offenders have been able to improve the quality of their lives by becoming more active and contributing members of their communities, churches, families, and places of employment.

The Education Division within the DOC is responsible for administering all of the correctional education programs. All teachers are licensed by the state of Massachusetts and have a minimum of 10 years teaching experience. The mission of the Education Division is to provide incarcerated men and women with the opportunity to acquire and or enhance their academic/vocational capabilities so that they might reintegrate to their community with the least amount of difficulty and become a productive member of their community. It is also a goal of the education programs to decrease the recidivism rate in Massachusetts. Various studies conducted by the Correc-tional Education Association have shown that inmates who attend education programs while incarcerated have a lower recidivism rate than inmates who chose not to.

There are many vocational and education programs available to the incarcerated men and women in the MDOC facilities. The vocational programs available at the institution schools include barbering, culinary arts, welding, building trades, horticulture, Braille transcription, computer repair, and Microsoft Office User Specialist (MOUS) preparation classes. Many of these training programs lead to acquisition of a state and/or federal certification or license. Academic classes include ABE, PRE ASE, ASE, ESOL, and life skills. The DOC is also an approved GED Test Center and in March of 2002 the ten thousandth (10,000) GED recipient was recognized at a ceremony held at MCI Framingham. The DOC test center averages 700 examinees each calendar year. The exam is administered at each correctional facility throughout the school year at no cost to the inmates.

Unfortunately due to the serious budget crisis experienced by the Commonwealth during this past fiscal year, some education staff members were laid off. In spite of the layoffs, educational services continue to be provided at all the major correctional facilities. Everyone at the Department of Correction's Education Division is hopeful that many of these staff members will be returned to their instructional positions once the state's economic situation improves.

If you would like more information about the Massachusetts Department of Correction, you may visit their Web site at: www.state.ma.us/doc

Larry Pollard is the ABE director and GED chief examiner for the Massachusetts Department of Correction. He can be reached at: lap7374@yahoo.com