Press Release  Berkshire Community Corrections Center to host special Recognition Ceremony

Pittsfield, MA — The Berkshire Community Corrections Center (CCC) will host a special recognition ceremony for participants and volunteers as well as an open house at the Pittsfield facility today, Tuesday, April 25th, at 12:30 p.m. The Berkshire CCC, located at 163 Fourth Street, is one of 18 centers across the state which are under the auspices of the Massachusetts Probation Service (MPS).

Today’s event will feature remarks by Massachusetts Probation Commissioner Edward J. Dolan and special guest speaker Chief Justice Paula Carey of the Massachusetts Trial Court. Three center participants will be recognized for their progress and recovery and presented with Senatorial Citations from Senator Adam Hinds.

Center volunteers from the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Stockbridge and the Berkshire Co-op will also be recognized for their contributions. Volunteer honorees include Lorraine Tinger and Michael Pulitzer both of Kripalu, who have provided Yoga instruction to clients at the center, and Jennifer Schwartz of Berkshire Co-op who instructs participants, who also maintain a vegetable garden at the center, on healthy cooking using nutritious ingredients. The ceremony will be followed by tours of the center. It is also the only site in Berkshire County where the Intimate (IPAEP), Intimate Partner Abuse Education Program, is offered. IPAEP is an educational program for people who have been abusive or controlling towards an intimate party.

“The Berkshire Community Corrections is a place where the needs of our clients are met. The Berkshire CCC offer impactful programming that has changed the trajectory of many clients’ lives. We are honoring three participants who exemplify this change and the community volunteers that have contributed to their success through holistic offerings such as yoga, gardening, and health and nutrition education,” said Probation Commissioner Edward J. Dolan.

The Office of the Community Corrections is a division of the Massachusetts Probation Service (MPS). There are 18 Community Corrections sites throughout the state. The Community Corrections Centers, including Juvenile and Women’s Resource Centers, serve as an alternative to incarceration. Senior Community Corrections Probation Officers (SCCPO’s), who are stationed at the courts, are assigned to each of the 18 centers. The centers are community supervision sites where offenders must check in several times weekly. Resources such as substance abuse treatment, GED preparation and job training are offered at the centers. There is also a community service component. Offenders perform such tasks as park clean-up, snow removal, and delivery of food to soup kitchens.

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