The Essex County Sheriff’s Office is recognizing 163 justice-involved individuals who participated in re-entry programs, including those offered in partnership with Northern Essex. College and local leaders gathered for a recognition ceremony in mid-September.

The college has been offering educational programming for the Essex County Sheriff’s Department since 2019, when the college was selected as part of a competitive grant process. Programs include preparation classes for students taking the HiSET (high school equivalency) exam; three-credit college courses; and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).

Northern Essex maintains a staff at the Middleton House of Correction, including on-site academic and career advisors, learning specialists, law librarians for the inmates’ library, and a program director. NECC also staffs the Supporting Transitions and Re-entry (STAR)  Program, which operates out of five locations.

“Our message resonated: smart re-entry programs are crime prevention tools,” Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger has said. “We were proud to show how collaboration and compassion can make all the difference in helping people turn their lives around and in keeping neighborhoods safer.”