To help them transition back into their community, 12 minimum-custody male offenders housed in Sioux Falls are enrolled in a semester-long welding certificate program this fall through Southeast Technical College. Corrections Secretary Kellie Wasko says they launched the Supportive Approach for Fostering Education and Reentry (SAFER) South Dakota reentry program earlier this year (2024). She says 95% of offenders will return to the community following their incarceration, and it’s “not only important but the right thing to do that we return them better than how we received them.” DOC is exploring possible technical college Career and Technical Education program partnerships for female offenders at the state Women’s Prison in Pierre. SAFER SD Program Manager Scott Day says statistics show that having education and technical skills gives an offender a better chance at successfully reentering a community. He says participants also complete the DOC’s PreP reentry programming during their enrollment period. Upon completing the program, participants can become certified through the American Welding Society. Day says this is the fifth semester that state prison offenders have been approved to attend the welding class. He says participants also attend a Job Fair on the SETC campus that allows them to meet with potential employers in the welding field. Past cohorts have had an average graduation rate of more than 80% and a similar job placement rate upon completion of the program. The DOC also offers CTE courses in precision machining through Lake Area Technical College for male offenders at Mike Durfee State Prison in Springfield. Offenders from the Rapid City Minimum Center can enroll in a plumbing course at Western Dakota Technical College. The program is funded in partnership with the South Dakota Department of Labor.