As part of a National Conference on Workforce Readiness, held in Washington, DC, on April 8, Department of Corrections Secretary John Wetzel joined other Wolf Administration cabinet officials in a panel discussion. The topic was how agencies collaborate to support students and families as they learn and prepare themselves to be workforce ready.
Joining Secretary Wetzel on the panel – which was held at the annual legislative conference of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) -- were Labor & Industry Secretary Jerry Oleksiak and Human Services Secretary Teresa Miller.
Wetzel, a huge proponent of early childhood education, said, "I see and believe in the transformational power of education."
Studies show that the more educated a person is and the earlier the education is provided, the less likely that individual is to commit crimes.
"We as a society must pay for kids' education now and ensure their success, otherwise we'll be paying for them later as an inmate in our corrections system," Wetzel told audience members.
Wetzel also discussed the need for education even when an individual is incarcerated.
"According to a RAND Corporation study, when inmates access educational opportunities while incarcerated, it reduces recidivism by 20 percent," Wetzel said.
Wetzel talked about how he partners with the Departments of Labor & Industry and Education to identify what job skills are needed by employers, so his agency can then design pre-apprenticeship programs to provide opportunities for inmate students who one day will return home after prison.
"While we have these individuals committed to our care and custody, we should do all we can to change them for the better. We want inmates returning home as a person who is better than they were when they first went to prison," Wetzel said.
The DOC releases nearly 20,000 individuals each year, proving that rehabilitation, specifically education and vocational programs, is vital to an individual's success.
Learn more about the PA DOC's Educational and Vocational programs.