Prison Education and Reentry Programs

In direct alignment with our mission to deliver transformative technical and trade education that leads to economic advancement, Franklin Cummings Tech launched the Prison Education Program in 2019 with our first cohort of students from the School of Reentry at Boston Pre-Release Center. The program’s goal is to create sustainable pathways to employment for justice-impacted individuals, with a special focus on clean energy careers.

Our Approach

Our Prison Education Programs offer focused technical education programs, combined with wraparound support services designed to facilitate successful reintegration and positive outcomes for our reentry students. We also work closely with leading employers to promote the positive impact that Returning Citizens can have in their companies and to help them build diverse talent pipelines to address critical labor shortages.

Current Programs

School of Reentry Program

This partnership with the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s School of Reentry is an all-inclusive residential model that encompasses education, vocational training, counseling, job preparation, and the development of a moral compass in a returning citizen’s cognitive ability to make positive decisions upon release.

• Students must commit to the full 12-18 month program, which comprises 23-30 hours per week of education and vocational training. Franklin Cummings Tech faculty teach classes at the School of Reentry in college-level reading, writing, science, math, and humanities, and students also attend classes in HiSET/GED preparation, leadership, life skills, and vocational training. Enrollment is capped at 50 students per cohort.
• Upon release from prison, students matriculate at Franklin Cummings Tech in one of the following certificate or degree programs:
  • Automotive Technology/Electric Vehicle concentration
  • Computer Information Technology
  • Engineering Technology
    • Renewable Energy Technology Concentration
    • Building Energy Management Concentration
  • HVAC&R Technology
  • Opticianry
  • Practical Electricity
• Since 2016, the college has served 61 students who have successfully completed courses through this partnership. These students earned a total of 1,369 college credits and boast the following success metrics: 83% HiSET attainment rate; 86% employment rate (with 92% retaining employment at 18 months post-release); and 3% recidivism rate.

High-Tech Career Re-Entry Path (HTCRP) Program

This partnership with the Massachusetts Probation Service’s Boston Community Justice Support Center begins with an assessment and cognitive behavioral treatment classes and support services at the support center to prepare students for college success.

• Students take 18 weeks of in-person classes in IT Systems Support at Franklin Cummings Tech, earning 3 college credits they can apply toward a certificate or degree program.
• Students are prepared to take the CompTIA A+ exam, a key industry certification for IT professionals.
• First cohort begins classes in Fall 2024.

Action for Boston Community Development Inc. (ABCD) Program

This new partnership creates a framework for the college and ABCD to work collaboratively to support returning citizens and other individuals who are seeking access to employment services, educational reentry services, and/or supportive services.

• Students who are participating in prisoner reentry and educational programs offered by Franklin Cummings Tech will have access to ABCD’s Bridges Returning Citizens Center, a career center within a one-stop career center (the MassHire Metro North Career Center and the MassHire Boston ABCD Career Center).
• Both organizations will work cooperatively to secure scholarship funding to support Returning Citizens with the goal that they do not have any out-of-pocket expenses when pursuing a degree from Franklin Cummings Tech.

Contact Us

Dr. Damany Fisher
Special Advisor to the Dean on Prison Education Initiatives
dfisher@franklincummings.edu

Dr. Damany Fisher supports businesses taking crucial steps into meaningfully including talent with records in the workforce.