State Prison Offenders Enrolled in Welding Program Through SETC

SIOUX FALLS, SD (Dakota News Now) – A select group of state prison offenders will have the opportunity to return to school before being released into the community.

The South Dakota Department of Corrections said twelve minimum-custody offenders in Sioux Falls were enrolled in a semester-long welding program at Southeast Technical College.

Upon completion of the program, the group will have the opportunity to become a certified welder.

The program is part of South Dakota’s Supportive Approach for Fostering Education and Reentry (SAFER) reentry program launched by DOC this year.

“Statistics show that an offender can be even more successful if he receives a proper education, which gives him opportunities and a new outlook on life,” said Scott Day, SAFER SD program manager. “Programs that can give them technical skills can give them even greater chances of success.” »

This will be the fifth semester in which state prison offenders have been approved for the Southeast Tech course.

Previous groups have had an 80 percent graduation and job placement rate. Participants also attend a job fair at SETC and complete the PreP re-entry program offered by the DOC.

The DOC said it is studying possible CTE programs for female offenders. Precision machining programs are currently offered to male offenders at Mike Durfee State Prison. Offenders at the Rapid City Minimum Center are offered plumbing classes at Western Dakota Technical College.