Albany County Government: County Executive McCoy Announces First Of Its Kind High School Equivalency Program

Press release from the Albany County Government:

12/13/2021 12:58 pm

Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy announced today a new, innovative program that will allow individuals engaged with the Albany County Department of Probation the educational opportunities necessary for easy access to earn their High School Equivalency (HSE) diploma. The new criminal justice initiative is a partnership between the County Executive’s Office, the County Probation Department, Capital Region BOCES, the Capital District Educational Opportunity Center and the State University of New York. Partners gathered at the County Probation Department in Albany to cut the ribbon on the state-of-the-art computer lab and classroom that participants will utilize.

“Albany County is constantly asking the question, what prevents someone on probation from starting a career and making better choices? Today, we’re answering that with one word: Education. There’s an $8,000 median salary difference between those with high school diplomas and those without. On top of that, there is an average 52% loss of earning because of a history of incarceration,” said County Executive McCoy.

“This program, the first of its kind that enlists BOCES, will help to break the cycle of those involved in the criminal justice system who are trapped in low-paying jobs and struggling to get their lives back on track, and ultimately prevent future crime. What’s more – we already have more than 100 individuals interested in getting their diplomas,” he continued.

There are currently 307 Albany County probationers who lack a high school diplomas, representing approximately 24% of the total eligible population engaged with the County Probation Department. A survey conducted determined that 105 of these probationers are interested in participating in a program at the Department to earn their High School Equivalency diplomas. The program will require a minimum of ten to twelve hours per week once started. An educational assessment will be conducted at the beginning of the course to determine the level of schooling that will be required to complete the course, which could take anywhere between 3 months to a year for participants to complete. The program will officially launch on January 5, 2022.

“I want to thank County Executive Dan McCoy for his vision to embrace new ideas in community corrections, along with my Probation staff and our partners at BOCES and the EOC who helped bring this new policy to fruition. Many probationers find their court mandated employment unsatisfying, so we wanted to create a system that provides greater opportunities for stable and reliable employment, which can often come from education. This can deter individuals from negative choices and reduce their chances of recidivism,” said Albany County Probation Department Director Bill Connors.

“This is another great example of how Capital Region BOCES and Albany County partner to bring services to County residents,” said Joseph P. Dragone, Capital Region BOCES Senior Executive Officer. “We’re excited to continue to expand our program locations and bring services to areas where they are most needed.”

“The Capital District Educational Opportunity Center is excited to launch our partnership with Albany County Probation Department to provide educational resources and support and we look forward to our student’s future success,” said Capital District EOC Associate Director Debbie Garrett-Hazapis.

Fifteen workstations equipped with computers provided by the county will be available in the classroom, with one being designated for use by an on-site teacher. These computers will be available for students to complete assignments or to remotely access services provided by the Capital District Education Opportunity Center.  BOCES programming will be staffed by a certified teacher provided by Capital Region BOCES, as well as the Program Coordinator.

As this programming will be scheduled for late day, possible into the evening hours, BOCES and the EOC will provide all testing and instructional materials. The County Probation Department will provide the classroom space, computers, and internet service for students to access educational resources. The classroom will be available three days/nights per week for BOCES instruction, and EOC students will access the classroom during regular business hours for remote instruction.

This press release was produced by the Albany County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.