McDonough said new programs recommended by the Commission on Corrections Reform have shown success in the county for reducing recidivism.

The commission had recommended education and re-entry programs to help criminal offenders lead a productive live when they leave prison.

In Plymouth County, officials implemented the Reintegration After Care Program, which focuses on inmates imprisoned for alcohol and other drug offenses. Inmates receive comprehensive instruction on anger management, addiction counseling and discharge planning six months before their scheduled release and up to six months after.

Inmates also receive classroom and hands-on training in horticultural skills, the culinary arts, computer skills, automotive repair and offset printing. The training is complemented with literacy and parenting programs, as well as Bible studies.

Of the 210 inmates who participated in the Plymouth County program over a one-year period starting in early 1993, only 42, or 20 percent, have re-offended. In comparison, the national recidivism rate averages about 50 percent.

A similar program being conducted in Barnstable County in Massachusetts shows comparable results.

McDonough said the commission's report urged the state to "embrace a mission that includes reducing the rate of recidivism by released inmates." According to McDonough, "Pursuing this mission will mark an important shift in the state's approach to corrections. Changing the system will be a challenge, but a blueprint exists at the county level. The result will be a state corrections system that recognizes the wisdom of using incarceration as a tool for protecting citizens both during and after an inmate's lockup."

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