Corrections, Community College Enter Partnership

Eagle Times Staff
WATERBURY, VT — The Vermont Department of Corrections and Community College of Vermont are partnering to provide free post-secondary education to Corrections staff and Vermont’s incarcerated population.

The program, known as Corrections Post-Secondary Education Initiative, launched staff course offerings in Summer 2023 and began course instruction at Northern State Correctional Facility and Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility in early September.

“CCV is thrilled to partner with the Vermont Department of Corrections to bring this opportunity to DOC staff and residents,” said Bryan O’Connor, director of Corrections Education at CCV.

“Expanding access to higher education is at the core of CCV’s mission, and providing opportunities for those who are incarcerated is key to addressing Vermont’s recidivism rate. In these first weeks of classes, we’ve seen a very high level of enthusiasm and engagement from the students, which is both inspiring and a testament to the importance of the program,” O’Connor added.

The initiative is supported by a $4.5 million federal grant from the Justice Department. It strives to expand access to post-secondary education, providing DOC staff with professional development and preparing incarcerated individuals for successful re-entry to their communities.

“The CPSEI initiative serves as a blueprint for the future of our correctional system in Vermont,” said Corrections Commissioner Nicholas Deml. “This is a great example of our efforts to infuse the strength of Vermont’s community-based resources into our carceral system. We look forward to our continued partnership with CCV to deliver on the shared responsibility of high-quality education in every community in Vermont, including correctional facilities.”