In a groundbreaking initiative, twelve minimum-custody male offenders housed in Sioux Falls have enrolled in a semester-long welding certificate program at Southeast Technical College this fall. This program is funded through a partnership between the South Dakota Department of Labor and the South Dakota Department of Corrections (DOC).
The welding program is part of the broader Supportive Approach for Fostering Education and Reentry (SAFER) South Dakota reentry program, launched by the DOC earlier this year. “Statistics show that an offender can be even more successful with the proper education, giving them the opportunity and a new outlook on life,” said Scott Day, SAFER SD Program Manager. “Programs that can give them technical skills can give them an even greater opportunity for success.”
In addition to welding training, participants complete the PreP reentry programming offered by the DOC during their enrollment period. Upon completing the program, participants can become certified through the American Welding Society.
This marks the fifth semester that state prison offenders have been approved to attend the welding class at Southeast Technical College. Previous cohorts have achieved an impressive average graduation rate of over 80% and similar job placement rates upon program completion.
Participants also have the opportunity to attend a Job Fair on the SETC campus, where they can connect with potential employers in the welding field.
The DOC also offers Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses in precision machining for male offenders at Mike Durfee State Prison in Springfield through Lake Area Technical College. Rapid City Minimum Center Offenders can enroll in a plumbing course at Western Dakota Technical College.
The DOC is currently exploring potential CTE programs for female offenders in partnership with technical colleges. “Our agency launched a comprehensive reentry initiative earlier this year to ensure that we are starting reentry on the front end of their sentence,” said Secretary of Corrections Kellie Wasko. “Ninety-five percent of offenders will return to the community following their incarceration, and it’s not only important but the right thing to do that we return them better than how we received them.”
You can read the full article at KXLG.