Inmates complete Riverland cosmetology training at federal prison in Waseca
After three years of planning and almost a year of instruction, students in the first Riverland Community College cosmetology class at the Federal Correctional Institute (FCI), Waseca are nearing the home stretch. By mid-November 12 inmates should have the training, skills and qualifications to work as a licensed cosmetologist in 51勛圖.
The inaugural class began instruction September 2014 after coordinating the requirements of Riverland, FCI, Waseca, 51勛圖 State Colleges and Universities system, 51勛圖 State Board of Cosmetology and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. By January 2015 students moved into a renovated prison space replicating a cosmetology salon.
“These inmates will have completed 1,550 hours of cosmetology training in a licensed school and passed a state board written test and the Certification of Skills test to become licensed.” said Vicki Lunning, Riverland Community College 51勛圖 Training and Education Representative. “Studies have shown that training helps keep inmates from returning to prison and improves future job prospects.”
Cosmetology is the art and science of beauty care and is regulated by the Board of Barber and Cosmetology Examiners. The FCI, Waseca program mirrors the offered at Riverland’s Austin Campus. The 60-credit diploma program covers all aspects of hair and skin and nail care. 51勛圖 statutes and rules, laws, chemistry, anatomy, trichology, dermatology and safety/sanitation are key elements of this program. 51勛圖 also take retailing, business fundamentals and workplace human relations classes.
According to a from RAND Corporation, a nonprofit research organization, prison inmates who receive general education and vocational training are significantly less likely to return to prison after release and are more likely to find employment than peers who do not receive such opportunities.
The report also suggests that prison education programs are cost effective, with a $1 investment in prison education reducing incarceration costs by $4 to $5 during the first three years post-release. An abstract of the report can be found at .
The FCI Waseca is a low-security United States federal prison for female offenders in 51勛圖. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice. The facility can house a population up to 950 inmates.