FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 28, 2014

CONTACT: Peter Van Delft
(617) 704-6682

SHERIFF TOMPKINS HOSTS COLLEGE BOUND DORCHESTER FOR A TOUR OF THE HOUSE OF CORRECTION

Sheriff Tompkins (second from right) with (L to R): Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department Director of Education Jim Dizzio, Andre Norman, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Superintendent Rachelle Steinberg, CEO of College Bound Dorchester Mark Culliton, President of Charles Hayden Foundation Kenneth Merin, Director of Strategic Partnerships for College Bound Dorchester Natalia Urtubey, and instructor of the Department’s College Bound class Ismail Abdurrashid.

Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department recently hosted a tour of the Suffolk County House of Correction for members of College Bound Dorchester and the Charles Hayden Foundation.

Present at the tour were Kenneth Merin, the President of the Charles Hayden Foundation; Mark Culliton, CEO of College Bound Dorchester; Natalia Urtubey, Director of Strategic Partnerships at College Bound Dorchester; Ismail Abdurrashid, the instructor of the College Bound class at the House of Correction; and Andre Norman and Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department employees Deputy Superintendent Rachelle Steinberg and Jim Dizzio, Director of Education at the House of Correction.

College Bound Dorchester is an organization that seeks to equip Dorchester students with the attitude, skills and experience to graduate from college. Serving kids from 0–17, the organization offers both prevention and intervention programs that are meant to address the issues of violence and dysfunction within the Dorchester community. The Charles Hayden Foundation, which seeks to promote the mental, moral, and physical development of children and youth ages of five to eighteen, also helps to fund the College Bound class at the House of Correction.

The tour focused specifically on the Department’s new College Bound class, which is now three months old. The class, which is offered to both male and female inmates, is geared towards preparing individuals for college with a tight focus on reading, writing, math and personal development skills.

Stopping in to visit with students of the class during the tour, Sheriff Tompkins asked students for their feedback.

“How is Ismail doing?” asked Sheriff Tompkins, referring the class’ instructor.

“He’s the best”, one student replied. “He really cares and teaches us how to think.”

At the conclusion of the tour, Sheriff Tompkins spoke with each student one–by–one and met with the visitors to discuss their experiences.

“The class was good. [The students] were all engaged and paying attention,” said Kenneth Merin.

Following the tour, Sheriff Tompkins spoke about the inspirational effect of the tour.

“All of this feedback is great,” said Sheriff Tompkins. “I think we can utilize the information we’ve received and use it to make what we’re doing here even more effective. I’m glad we were able to do this tour and hear from the students directly. College Bound Dorchester is a great organization and I look forward to working with them further to keep these folks out of jail and on the right path.”

For more information about College Bound Dorchester, please visit: www.fdnh.org.

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