FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Nicole Hendricks
Executive Director and Co-Founder, Western Mass CORE
nhendricks@westernmasscore.org | (413) 570-0071
westernmasscore.org
Western Mass CORE Launches Unlocking Pathways to Expand College Access for Justice-Impacted Learners
Holyoke, MA – Western Mass CORE officially launched Unlocking Pathways on September 30, 2025, with a virtual convening that brought together students, corrections leaders, college partners, and community organizations. The initiative, supported by Ascendium Education Philanthropy, is a year-long regional strategy to expand postsecondary opportunities for people incarcerated in county jails.
The kickoff event underscored both urgency and possibility. Nicole Hendricks, Executive Director of Western Mass CORE, emphasized that incarceration is a “local issue requiring local solutions,” pointing to the impact of unemployment, substance use disorder, and lack of education in Western Massachusetts. She highlighted research showing that access to college courses while incarcerated reduces the likelihood of a return to incarceration by nearly 30%.
Dr. Sarah Kuczynski, Director of the New England Prison Education Collaborative (NEPEC/NEBHE), and Maureen Donelan, Assistant Deputy Superintendent of Education at the Hampden County Sheriff’s Office, joined Hendricks in highlighting the transformative power of education and the importance of building a durable, student-centered ecosystem.
“This work is about possibility,” said the CORE team. “It’s about proving what can happen when our region comes together—students, corrections, colleges, and community partners—to unlock opportunity and build a pathway for justice-impacted learners.”
Attendees expressed interest in joining working groups, sharing resources, and contributing to needs assessments that will guide the design of high-quality educational pathways in the region.
For more information, to access the slide deck and recording from the session, or to stay engaged with Unlocking Pathways, visit the Unlocking Pathways page or sign up for CORE’s newsletter.