Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | February 10, 2025 | Worcester Business Journal 21 Put higher ed in prisons BY JAMES T. BRETT & MICHAEL K. THOMAS Special to WBJ P eople oen refer to support for justice-impacted individuals as a second chance at opportunity and employment. Such chances are critical to expand- ing work experience, skill development, and economic mobility. Participating in high-quality, workforce-aligned postsecondary education during and aer incar- ceration provides the best chance for preparing such individuals to successfully re-enter their com- munities, avoid recidivism, and achieve economic mobility. Consider: 1) e best way to avoid returning to prison is to par- ticipate in education. Incarcerated individuals who do are up to 43% less likely to recidivate. 2) Prison sentences are shorter so preparing for reentry is critical. e U.S. Bu- reau of Justice Statistics reports the average time served in state prisons in 2020 was 2.5 years. 3) Mass. Department of Correction reports releasing 1,557 people in fiscal 2023. 4) Incarcerated individuals' participation in postsecondary education inspires the same in extended family, breaking cycles of incarceration and poverty. e July 2023 restoration of federal Pell Grants for higher education in prison created real opportunities to fundamentally alter post-release success. While progress has been made, there is more to be done. We convened the New England Commission on the Future of Higher Education in Prison, which made 15 key recommendations for expanding higher education in the region's correctional facilities. New England must be a leader in providing postsecondary education in prison, and every state in the region must engage stakeholders to develop formal plans for expanding such postsecondary programs. We need the active support of employers. Businesses can expand their talent pools by including those who are overlooked. More employers can embrace fair chance hiring practices supporting individuals returning from incarceration and ensure our workplaces are ready to nurture their professional growth. Employers and industry associations must engage with elected leaders to support expansion of postsecondary education in prison and with higher education institutions to help develop programs to provide in-demand skills and lead to em- ployment upon re-entry. We all stand to gain from a coordinated, strategic, approach to higher education in prison: justice-impact- ed individuals, their families, the businesses that will hire them, and the communities they will re-join upon release. It's everyone's best chance. James T. Brett is president and CEO of the regional business association e New England Council. Michael K. omas is president and CEO of the New England Board of Higher Education. Time to tackle unemployment reform James T. Brett I n the waning days of the former president Joe Biden Administration, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey struck a deal with the U.S. De- partment of Labor to fix a $2.5-billion problem created when her predecessor improperly applied federal COVID funds to cover some unem- ployment claims during the pandemic. Healey's deal included waived penalties, reduced interest, and a 20% cut to the principal owed – a settlement bring- ing the debt to $2.1 billion to be paid over 10 years. While the deal gives Massachusetts some clarity, this is only a first step state leaders must take over the next year or so to apply a more permanent fix to the ailing state unemployment insurance system. e fund, used to pay out the state's generous unemploy- ment benefits, is set to run out of money in late 2027 or early 2028, according to a January report from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. ose calculations don't include the $2.1 billion in payments Massachusetts must make to fulfill the terms of Healey's deal, so the unemployment fund could well be heading for insolvency even sooner than expected. While we've all watched as Social Security's steady march toward a cliff plows forward with little action from a reticent Congress, state government has a lot less leeway to kick the can down the road. In Mas- sachusetts, business, government, and labor officials need to work jointly over the next legislative session or two to find a more permanent resolution before unemployment's issues become a full-blown crisis. e solvency of the state's unemployment system is paramount to our economy and social safety net, so all sides need to consider serious compromises. It's in everyone's best interest to get this problem fixed sooner than later. While making the system more sustainable is paramount, the extra penalty of the federal debt payback adds some undue burden to the fund, and state officials ought to take a hard look into using a portion of the state's rainy day fund to help stabilize the unemployment system. e rainy day fund has grown to nearly $9 billion, according to the state De- partment of Revenue, so utilizing a portion of that to help pay down the $2.1 billion federal debt only makes sense. Otherwise, the bill for Healey's deal will have to be covered by the state's employers, who pay for the unemployment fund through taxes and fees. On top of reaching a long-term compromise to stabilize the fund, the deal needs to include a way to ease the extra burden of Healey's deal on employers. Other reforms to the unemployment system need to be considered, too, including possibly lowering the maximum weekly payout of $1,033, which is the highest in the nation. e amount of time benefits will be paid needs to be reviewed, too, as the state covers unemployed workers for up to 26 weeks, which is about the national average, but that rises to a national high of 30 weeks when the unemployment rate climbs. Businesses will have to come to the table with some concessions, too, likely paying more money into the fund through raising the taxable payroll threshold. at's the nature of a well-negotiated compromise. A common sense proposal can get to the finish line. Let's not kick the unemployment insurance can down the road. The Worcester Business Journal welcomes letters to the editor and commentary submissions. Please send submissions to Brad Kane, editor, at bkane@wbjournal.com. W Michael K. Thomas W

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