Bristol County Sheriff’s Office announces inmates have graduated from Commercial Driver’s License program

The Bristol County Sheriff’s Office has announced that for the first time in Bristol County history they have graduated inmates from the CDL (Commercial Driver’s License) program, three in the month of October, and another earlier this year.

Sheriff Paul Heroux stated that a “CDL gives the holder a marketable skill as a specialized driver that will allow for gainful employment earning between $26 and $58 an hour. Jobs with a CDL include, but are not limited to, driving trash trucks, snowplow drivers, heavy equipment operators, local delivery truck drivers, and long-haul truck drivers.”

Heroux noted that “upon arriving at the BCSO in January 2023, the jail had a CDL simulator, which looked like a large sit-in video game one might find at an arcade. This simulator was used by inmates as one step towards getting a CDL. However, after release inmates were not continuing with the CDL training.”

Reorganizing the program was a priority in 2023 for Heroux which was made a reality this year.

“The jail now works with eligible inmates preparing them to take the permit test, participate in classroom instruction, instruction on the road with a CDL instructor and correction officer present, scheduling for the road test, and support taking the test”, Heroux said. “Obtaining a CDL is challenging; about 13% of all individuals pass a CDL test on the first attempt. BCSO participants did not pass on their first attempt.”

According to Heroux, it is important to line an inmate up with a job before release and upon successfully obtaining a CDL, the BCSO Post-Release unit assists in placing an inmate in a CDL job before the inmate is released from the jail.

“Employment is one of the three pillars of prisoner-reentry, the other two pillars being housing and healthcare, which includes drug treatment and mental health.”

The American Trucking Association says it is short 60,000 CDL drivers. and Heroux stated that this program can reduce recidivism by up to 50%. Also, a 2013 study found programs that can assist with a marketable skill and job placement have been estimated to reduce recidivism by 43%.

To participate in this program, individuals must have a valid driver’s license and a high school diploma or equivalent. After classroom instruction, eligible students receive further training through Amaral’s Trucking.

Heroux stated that the program is paid for by the Mass STEP grant in partnership with Amaral’s Trucking.