Bristol County Dartmouth Women's Center

The purpose of the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office Education Department is to improve society by supporting inmates to:

• Become educated
• Become contributing participants of society
• Gain and improve their critical perspective
• Tap their creativity
• Identify, believe in and move toward acknowledging their future personal options

This can be accomplished by providing educational programming in the areas of ABE, Pre-GED, GED, Post GED, skill improvement, life skills, and reintegration services. Many of our educational programs are listed below:

Special Education:
Instruction designed for an adult, age 17-21, who is unable to read, write, and compute sufficiently well to meet requirements of adult life in the US, or an adult who lacks a mastery of basic education skills that will enable him/her to function effectively in society. Grade levels 0-5.9 and/or prior record of receiving special education classes from a local school system.

Title One:
Instruction designed for an adult, 17-21 years of age who has some competence in reading, writing, and computation but is not sufficiently competent to meet the requirements of adult life in the US, or an adult who lacks a mastery of basic educational skills that will enable him/her to function effectively in US society. Grade levels 6-11.9.This course will also include ESL instruction for an adult, ages 17-21.

Literacy Development/Beginning ABE:
Instruction designed for an adult, 22 and over, who is unable to read, write, and compute sufficiently well to meet requirements of adult life in the US, or an adult who lacks a mastery of basic educational skills that will enable him/her to function effectively in society.

Intermediate ABE (Pre-ASE):
Instruction designed for an adult, 22 and over, who has some competence in reading, writing, and computation but is not sufficiently competent to meet the requirements of adult life in the US, or an adult who lacks a mastery of basic educational skills that will enable him/her to function effectively in society. Grade levels 6-8.9.

English For Speakers of Other Languages (Esol)
Beginner level instruction is designed for an adult, 22 and over, who has limited or no proficiency in the english language. Intermediate level instruction is designed for an adult, 22 and over, who has some competence in communicating in English. Advanced level instruction is designed for an adult, 22 and over, who is able to communicate in English, but who needs instruction in usage.

Ase/Ged
Instruction designed for an adult, 22 and over, who is literate and can function in everyday life, but is not proficient. He/she will master the skills necessary to obtain a Ged certificate. Grade levels 9-12.

Post High School
Instruction designed for an adult 17 and over, who has a ged certificate, high school diploma, college degree, etc. This course offers refresher material in mathematics and other subject areas.

If you need information about a detainee that is housed at this facility, you may call 781-359-7500 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. When you call, please have the individual’s biographical information ready, including first, last and hyphenated names, any aliases he or she may use, date of birth and country of birth.

Detainees cannot receive incoming calls. If you need to get in touch with a detainee to leave an urgent message, you must call 508-995-6400 and leave the detainee’s full name, alien registration number and your name and telephone number where you can be reached. The detainee will be given your message.

Substance Abuse
Treatment groups focus on various topics that vary from time to time. Certain topics are integral to a substance-using offender’s successful transition to the community. Among the topics are: the bio-psycho-social model of addiction, signs and symptoms of drug abuse and dependence. Looking at negative consequences of chemical abuse, dependence and withdrawal symptoms, addiction as a progressive disease: use – abuse – dependence, the medical consequences of alcoholism, HIV and AIDS education, powerlessness and unmanageability of drug use/abuse, hitting bottom and admitting, relapse prevention, and self help alternatives. Training to enhance interpersonal skills in both family relationships and with peers, stress management skills, some activities during groups include teaching basic life skills such as budgeting, using public transportation, seeking and maintaining employment, and parenting in order to increase their chance of success after release. Training in anger and in parenting groups can provide new methods for resolving conflicts and facilitating reintegration into the family and community. The array of services mentioned above change as mentioned before as a problem is identified according the multiple needs of the offenders.

Addiction Education
These groups cover the basic information you need about the physical, emotional and spiritual damage that comes from substance abuse and addiction.

Recovery Meetings
Address the substance abuse and addiction issues of inmates and detainees. They are available at various times throughout all units in each facility.

Domestic Violence Awareness and Counseling
Programs include a VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) grant funded program for incarcerated victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, "Empowering Women for Success," a reentry planning group.

Parenting With Dignity
The Parenting With Dignity curriculum presents effective techniques for raising responsible, independent children. PWD teaches parents and caregivers to rethink their approach to discipline, punishment and empowerment. PWD advocates permitting children make some of their own decisions, and to experience the consequences early on, so that they can act responsibly when alone, and become more independent when they grow older. Fundamental to the Parenting with Dignity curriculum is a focus on developing parenting skills that help to address many of the child abuse causes perpetrated by inexperienced and unprepared parents. Click here for more information.

Parents Raising Safe Kids
Parents Raising Safe Kids is a curriculum that is designed to help families and caregivers from all types of backgrounds raise children without violence by learning: 1. Basic information on child development 2. About risk factors for violence and its consequences 3. Protective factors and skills for effective parenting, such as anger management, peaceful conflict resolution, discipline, and media violence education.

Meditation and Relaxation
The objective of the meditation/relaxation program is to introduce simple and safe relaxation exercises which will empower each individual to access her own inate ability to experience relaxation, peace and well-being amidst the everyday stressors of life. Meditation and relaxation techniques are useful as an aid to the healing process where by the individual achieves deeper levels of integration between and psychological, emotional and physical aspects of the self.

Process Groups
These groups are designed to give the inmate a voice in getting what she/he needs. This is the inmates opportunity to say what is on his or her mind and to listen to others share their experience and hope.

Anger Management
Designed to help the inmate address anger and aggression issues. Inmates know that the inability to manage anger often leads to addictive and/or criminal activity. Successful re-entry into the community will require the inmate to make better choices.

Houses of Healing
Emotional literacy skills, encouragement of accountability, responsibility, and spiritual/self respect are presented to help promote restoration of dignity and self-worth. Meditation, stress management, attitudinal healing are part of the class, as well as guilt, shame, trauma and grief.

Relapse Prevention
These groups are designed to lower the risk of relapse. Worksheets, published writings, and discussions concerning methods of denial are the central focus. The group members to determine the individual high-risk situations, which have led to previous relapses, share personal histories of relapse.

Relationship Group
This 8 week education group on relationships will look at the effects and consequences of healthy relationships verses unhealthy relationships.

Open Discussion Group
The goal of this program is to increase awareness-yielding changes in feelings and behavior within the interpersonal relationship with people and community. The primary objective is to enable individuals to develop understanding about themselves and to make changes in their lives by exploring and resolving issues of an interpersonal, intrapsychic, or personal nature. This includes an awareness and assessment of cultural influences such as age, development, disability, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, indigenous identity, nationality and gender.

Sex Offender Program
CPC offers a relapse prevention based group treatment program that addresses both the sex offender’s behavior disorders and character deficits. Over the years CPC has worked to combine the best aspects of cognitive behavior treatment with developmentally based process group to address the character flaws and underlying attachment disorder inherent in sex offenders. Staff works to have inmates build competency in specific areas that are related to their risk for re-offending. The areas of focus for competency are responsibility, understanding, learning, experience (R.U.L.E.) (The counseling & psychotherapy center, inc.)

Vocational Programs

Custodial Technician/Janitorial Program:
Provides training of procedures of custodial housekeeping operations along with latest equipment, chemical and cleaning techniques. The program leads to custodial technician certification from the cleaning management institute.

Food Service Sanitation:
The Food Service Program deals with food borne diseases and leads to National Restaurant Sanitation Certification (American All Tech).

Technology Introduction
Computers for beginners: Individuals will be introduced to basic keyboarding, word-processing, spreadsheets, excel and data bases program. Program leads to a certificate of computer technology.

Culinary Arts:
Instruction designed to develop levels of competency from entry level to skilled apprentice. Emphasis on food safety.

Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Program (HVAC)
Program includes the following: history of refrigeration; theory of heat, conduction, convection; pressure; refrigeration process; recovery & reclaim of refrigerants; system evacuation, vacuum pump; charging system. Program includes review and preparation for epa exam as well as review and preparation for the ACCA.