MACCC's Ex-Offenders Programming
Computers for Ex-Offenders Program, or CEOP, is entering a third year of operation. It began as a service providing computer training to ex-offenders and their young children as part of a larger JOBS PROGRAM which was the brain child of Mt Airy resident Irv Rosenstein. The JOBS PROGRAM begins in prison and continues after prisoners are released in helping them develop skills for the work place. The JOBS PROGRAM expanded choices.
During the first year of the Ex-Offenders Program, MACCC provided training to nearly two dozen ex-offenders and their children. In addition, after the successful completion of the training, MACCC placed a new computer, printer and desk in their homes and connected them to the Internet. The computer training and having a computer in their home proved to be a critical resource for ex-offenders bent on moving forward in their life.
We believe this continues to be very important work. MACCC's mission begins with the understanding that closing the digital divide between advantaged and disadvantaged citizens is a critical social justice issue. For adults and children to be truly literate participating members of the community, they must have the technology skills needed to compete for jobs, complete school assignments, obtain consumer, market and political information, make application to higher education and financial assistance and a range of other everyday tasks that are increasingly dependent on knowledge of and facility with computer technology.
This year the Computers for Ex-Offenders Program will provide to the 12 participants (6 men and 6 women) a free computer installed with XP and Office 2007, training in setting up dial-up Internet access via Criticalpath.org's free service, and a combination of computer classes and small group trainings selectively tailored to fit the literacy and skills needs of each participant.