U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona visited CT State Community College on Tuesday to discuss education opportunities for imprisoned people.
Cardona, who is from Meridian, also joined Gov. Ned Lamont (D) on a tour of Cheshire Correctional Institution’s career pathway programs.
“What I heard today were folks who were incarcerated who now have a belief in themselves that they can contribute,” Cardona said. “Getting skills to be able to be employed and support their communities, support their families.”
Cardona spoke about the importance of supporting programs with state and federal funding, like the Second Chance Pell Grant, which helps formerly incarcerated people pay for education upon release.
“What I heard from them [the incarcerated people] is we need these programs to be for all who are incarcerated, that need the support, that are interested in continuing to higher education,” Cardona said. “And then the benefits that it has on a community when they get out, and they're gainfully employed, versus having to deal with some of the challenges that they had that brought them in.”
According to the state Department of Correction, around 2,800 incarcerated people in Connecticut’s prisons annually engage in education programs.
Lamont said the state is committed to ensuring its incarcerated population has access to education so that they can reenter the workforce when released.
“We just had an amazing meeting about Second Chance Pell Grants and what that means,” Lamont said. “We heard from two gentlemen how they had that opportunity to get an education while incarcerated. What an amazing story they’re going to be able to tell.”
Those two gentlemen were Jason Torello and Brian Sullivan Sr. They spoke about their experiences with incarcerated education — both said it changed their lives.
“I knew I was more than what I did,” Sullivan, who now works at Goodwin University, told Cardona. “I spent 30 years in the Connecticut Department of Corrections. And I was guilty of what I was charged with, and I deserved to go where I was. But I knew I was better than that, I knew that’s not where I wanted to be or how I wanted my life to end up. Second Chance Pell was essential for me — look at where I am right now. I’m sitting next to you and the governor because of Second Chance Pell.”
“It changed everything for me,” said Torello, who is interested in music. “I was ultimately able to start a nonprofit for guys who are trying to do production stuff.”
