At the Hampden County Sheriff's Department, in Ludlow, Massachusetts, we have been focused on preparing our inmate population to become responsible citizens since 1975. With over 80 percent of our inmate population high school dropouts and lacking vocational skills, the need for correctional education was readily apparent when we moved from the old York Street Jail, built in 1886, to Ludlow, in 1992. Correctional programs had significantly helped us in managing our record overcrowding numbers, which hit 726 inmates in 1985 in space designed for 256 inmates. From 1976 to 1992, over 1,759 inmates had achieved their high school equivalency diploma; 2,000 inmates had been placed in unsubsidized employment as a result of vocational training; and over 1,000 inmates had received substance abuse treatment at our correctional alcohol program in Springfield.

As we began our education efforts at our new facility in Ludlow in 1992, our ABE program grew quickly from an average daily attendance of 75 students at York Street to over 250 students by 1993. As our education staff utilized the SABES staff and program development process each year, we identified a pressing need for our correctional education efforts: a reintegration counselor to assist students in the next step, completing their educational goals in community-based programs. With the assistance of a VISTA volunteer, we contacted the Center for Crime, Communities, and Cultures in 1997 and secured a $150,000 grant to fund an education reintegration model for two-and-a-half years.

The Education Reintegration Model
Dan O'Malley was hired as our education reintegration counselor under the Crime, Communities, and Culture grant in February 1998. The purpose of the grant was to transition inmates from educational courses of study at the facility to community-based adult education programs, including college level programs of instruction. The original grant also required the education reintegration counselor to provide vocational and career guidance to inmates. The position has required the following:

• an extensive knowledge of academic, career, and occupational professions available to high school graduates, GED recipients, and college level students;
• extensive knowledge base of the community-based adult programs available to released inmates;
• the ability to develop and implement programs of study that allow for the realistic attainment of each participant's educational goals and career objectives;
• the demonstrated ability to provide educational and occupational guidance consistent with each participant's academic abilities and career objectives;
• an extensive knowledge of all aspects of federal student aid (FAFSA).

The follow-up aspect of the program provides participants with counseling to continue with their chosen course of study and also provides educational advocacy for each client. The average student in our program is a young Hispanic male from Springfield, around 22 years old, with a record of substance abuse and prior arrests. Follow-up is key to achieving success once released.

At the onset of the program, Dan met with over 25 community-based adult education programs to explain the education reintegration program to the providers, make introductions, and assess the compatibility of the community-based programs with our facility's education program At a series of internal meetings, Dan also explained the education reintegration program to the teaching staff and sought support for effective teacher input into the reintegration process.

Support from Teachers
The teaching staff was overwhelmingly supportive of the reintegration concept and began to make immediate referrals for those inmates who were about to be released from the facility. Dan also began a series of meetings with currently incarcerated inmates to explain the education reintegration model.

Outcomes
Prior to the incorporation of the education reintegration model at the Hampden Sheriff's Department, only 30 percent of inmates indicated a desire to continue with formalized education upon release. Now, after five years of education reintegration services, almost 75 percent of inmates express a direct interest in furthering their education upon release from custody.

Ceremonies
On a monthly basis, the Hampden Sheriff's Department holds a "Student of the Month" ceremony to recognize a student who has demonstrated academic and social improvement. At each ceremony, Dan speaks to the students and explains the educational opportunities that are available upon release. Students are encouraged to continue with their studies when released and are advised to call Dan to arrange for educational placement in the community. Dan has also arranged for community-based adult education providers to come into the facility and explain their education programs to the inmates at the "Student of the Month" ceremony. Local community colleges and local ABE providers have now participated in our "Student of the Month" ceremony.

Snapshot
The operation of the education reintegration program can be best illustrated by an actual example: Darnell H. received a lengthy sentence to the Hampden County House of Correction. While incarcerated, Darnell obtained his GED and then began a post-secondary studies at the facility offered by a local community college. After accumulating a number of college credits and having served his complete sentence, Darnell was released. Prior to his release, Darnell met with Dan where he received a number of services to help ensure his acceptance into a community college and the successful continuation of his education. For example, Darnell's financial aid (FAFSA) was processed over the Internet; his transfer credits were incorporated into his college transcripts; he received an appointment for long-term academic/placement counseling at the college. He is scheduled to start his college work in fall 2002 and is expected to graduate in 2003.

The actual mechanics of the education reintegration program are closely linked with the overall Hampden County Sheriff's "After Incarceration Support Services" Department (AISS). Prior to release, every inmate at the Hampden County Sheriff's Department develops a detailed release plan that addresses issues such as housing, mental health, substance abuse, and education. At the release planning groups, every inmate who expresses an interest in continuing with education meets individually with the education re-integration counselor and a follow-up plan is developed.

Mentors and Follow-up
Once a released inmate calls for an outside education appointment, the education reintegration counselor schedules the appointment, usually right at the adult education program, and the inmate enrolls in school. A mentor, an employee of the Hampden Sheriff's Department and former inmate, periodically checks with the released inmate to see how things are going. The mentor provides a key role in the success of the released inmate (now a student) by acting as a transitional figure between the student and the reintegration counselor. If the student stops attending school or needs additional support, the mentor can help follow through to make sure adequate support is provided.

What the Research Shows
Education programs do dramatically reduce recidivism as a recent Correctional Education Association staff survey and our research clearly show . Our overall recidivism rate for inmates who have been released for two years or more since 1999 is approximately 22 percent; our recidivism rate for those who have successfully participated in education programs is less than 12 percent. Our challenge as correctional educators is to continually develop the lifelong learning concept with our students and to help them take that next step by enrolling in adult basic education programs in our communities.

William R. Toller is assistant superintendent of human services at the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow, where he has been employed since 1976. He can be reached by e-mail at: Bill.Toller@SDH.state.ma.us