In recognition of National Reentry Week, today, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos visited Montgomery County Correctional Facility in Boyds, Maryland, to learn about the facility’s education programs. After the visit, Secretary DeVos released the following statement:

“For formerly incarcerated youth and adults whose goal is to turn their lives around, access to education has proven to be transformative.

“When men and women return to society better prepared for meaningful employment, the benefits extend beyond their own homes to the nation as a whole. They have the potential to rejoin society as positive, engaged, contributing members of their communities and workplaces.

“My visit to Montgomery County Correctional Facility (MCCF) was encouraging and inspiring. MCCF offers integrated, onsite education and career development services through its American Job Center. This center provides full-time GED, vocational and special education programs, and assists incarcerated individuals with skills assessments, job searches and further education planning before their release.

“During National Reentry Week, and throughout the year, we can recognize and support education’s power to help those leaving our justice system rebuild their character, reform their lives and realize their true potential.”