Mass. Prisoners to Get Education Program

The Massachusetts Department of Correction is launching an education program for prisoners.

In a bid process, the state chose American Prison Data Systems, a public benefit corporation, to provide 228 tablets to incarcerated people in 10 prisons, according to a news release.

The tablets include programs on GED preparation, vocational training and re-entry planning, among others. There are no costs for using any programs on the tablets.

Incarcerated students in other states who used the corporation's tablets were more than twice as likely to pass the GED and 70 percent more likely to complete their post-release re-entry plans compared to their peers, according to the news release.

Research shows that every dollar states invest in prison-based education can save taxpayers up to $5 in reduced incarceration costs.