JOSEPH F. MCDONOUGH
Prison education programs cut rate of reoffendingA RECENT REPORT on the Massachusetts prison system proposes a reassessment of incarceration philosophy that should be adopted. Some specific programs recommended by the Commission on Corrections Reform have already been proven successful on the county level.
In its report, the commission noted that Massachusetts prisons "are often viewed as little more than the 'end of the line' for criminal offenders." Education and reentry programs in Plymouth County and other county correctional facilities have strengthened the ability of inmates to find not a dead end as a result of their incarceration but a headstart toward a productive freedom. For example, the Reintegration After Care Program in Plymouth County offers services that begin six months prior to an inmate's release and continue for up to six months after. The program, which focuses on inmates incarcerated for drug- and alcohol-related offenses, offers intensive instruction on anger management, addiction counseling, and discharge planning, the latter of which assists inmates in choosing an appropriate halfway house and arranging for outpatient counseling or mental health assistance. Of the 210 inmates who participated in this program over a one-year period starting in early 1993, only 42, or 20 percent, have reoffended. Nationally, recidivism rates average about 50 percent. A study conducted by Waltham-based BOTEC Analysis Corp. of a similar program in the Barnstable County system produced comparable results. The study showed that inmates participating in the program reoffended at a rate 50 percent lower than other inmates over the first year of their release. The effectiveness of the program is further illuminated by the fact that the inmates who were followed in the BOTEC study had been committing crimes for an average of 13 years before entering the program. After-care and reentry success can be enhanced by early, effective communication between correctional facilities and the state's Parole Department. Traditionally, corrections facilities would provide written information to the Parole Board to assist it in assessing inmates. Six months ago, caseworkers from the Plymouth County House of Correction began attending Parole Board hearings. Their presence allows an instant exchange of information regarding inmates who are appearing before the board. The commission wisely recommended that the state hold inmates more accountable for participation in activities designed to reduce the likelihood that they will reoffend. Again, a successful example exists at the county level. In Plymouth, inmates receive training in horticultural skills, the culinary arts, computer skills, automotive repair, and offset printing. Each of these activities features classroom instruction and hands-on work. These programs, combined with the literacy, parenting, Bible studies, and batterer intervention programs, offer inmates a wide array of options to assist their skills growth and personal development. The commission's call for an outside perspective in internal investigations is another worthy recommendation. Four years ago Plymouth County revamped its existing internal investigation process, which was spread among various departments and people, and brought in an outsider with 30 years of experience as a police investigator and prosecutor. The move resulted in a centralized, efficient process that offers far more continuity than its haphazard predecessor. The commission recommended so called "step-down" programs, which offer inmates a graduated reentry into society by reducing their custody level prior to release. This is an approach that the state and counties should pursue. In Plymouth we have targeted a former warehouse on the grounds of the correctional facility for conversion into a 66-bed step-down center, which inmates near the end of their incarceration period can use as a transitional base. The inmates would work during the day and return to a supervised environment at night. The commission urged the state to "embrace a mission that includes reducing the rate of recidivism by released inmates." Pursuing this mission will mark an important shift in the state's approach to corrections. Changing the system will be a challenge, but a blueprint exists at the county level. The result will be a state corrections system that recognizes the wisdom of using incarceration as a tool for protecting citizens both during and after an inmate's lockup.
Joseph F. McDonough is sheriff of Plymouth County. © Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company.
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