HELENA
The Department of Corrections is reassessing its inmate education program and is seeking input from the state's colleges about how the program should be structured and what classes the colleges might be able to offer. The department receives about $70,000 in federal funds each year that may be used to help inmates age 35 or younger access education and training, with the goal of making them employable when they are released from custody and less likely to re-offend. "Congress understands the value of vocational training and education and how it impacts public safety," said Donci Bardash, the department's federal grants coordinator. "For this reason, they have provided funding to each state to support post-secondary educat ion through the Higher Education Act." Research by the Urban Institute shows that offenders employed in the first year following their release from prison are half as likely to commit crimes compared to unemployed offenders. The research also showed that offenders earning at least $10 an hour have the lowest rates of recidivism, at 8 percent a year after release. The department is asking universities, colleges, colleges of technology and tribal colleges in Montana about their interest in providing services to inmates as well as for their advice in designing the program. Schools would have to be willing to offer instruction using distance learning technology that could be broadcast to several facilities. Internet-based instruction will not be available to offenders. The schools are also being asked what kind of courses they could offer, how much it would cost and how many students they could serve. Historically, the department has used the federal money on several programs, including offering distance learning classes through Ohi o University. Inmates could take any classes they were interested in. The department wants to narrow the course of study to correspond with the local labor market, increasing the chances an offender could find work upon release. The department is seeking information on classes in office work, construction, cosmetology, auto repair, addiction counseling and college preparatory classes. "Our department values the extraordinary resource Montana has in its university system and tribal colleges and hopes to tap that expertise to benefit offenders and the society that they return to," Bardash said. Responses to the request will be accepted through Jan. 13. (AP)
