Concord Prison Outreach
Concord Prison Outreach (CPO) is a 501(c)(3) organization composed of a coalition of individuals and faith communities committed to helping people who are incarcerated build better lives for themselves and their families. Since its founding in 1968, when its first volunteers helped to support people in a local prison infirmary, CPO has developed into the largest organization of its kind in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
CPO works cooperatively with the Massachusetts Department of Correction (DOC), offering educational programs that focus on skill-building and personal growth, essentials to help support people in prison to achieve success while incarcerated or post-incarceration. Hundreds of individuals and nearly forty faith communities join CPO in its mission to offer high-quality, transformative programs that focus on education, personal growth, and increased opportunity for incarcerated people and their families.
5 Decades of Promise – Concord Prison Outreach Program
Mission | Vision | Values
Our Mission
Concord Prison Outreach offers high-quality, transformative programs that focus on education, personal growth and increased opportunity for incarcerated people and their families.
Vision
All people who are incarcerated in Massachusetts have access to meaningful educational and personal growth opportunities.
Core Values
- Community – A vow to be a passionate community of volunteers, educators, students and staff working collaboratively to expand opportunity.
- Integrity – A pledge to be authentic, trustworthy and truthful in our work and communications about CPO and those it serves.
- Respect – A promise to value and honor different points of view and put forth the necessary effort to meet people where they are.
- Social Justice – A commitment to promote equity, access and opportunity to historically marginalized individuals and communities.
- Transformation – A belief that all have the capacity for personal growth and life-altering change.
Humble Beginnings
For over 50 years, since its founding in 1968 when its first volunteers helped to support people in a local prison infirmary, CPO has developed into the largest organization of its kind in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. CPO works cooperatively with the Massachusetts Department of Correction (DOC), offering educational programs that focus on skill-building and personal growth.
See the full Interview with founders Jean Bell & Diana Clymer and the history of our program >
Our Progams
CPO programs are meant to challenge, change and improve the lives of the participants. The organization’s list of program offerings includes:
- Anger management
- Personal and emotional improvement
- Basic adult education and high school equivalency
- ESL
- Managing money
- Parenting groups
- The “Read to me, Daddy” program
- Library services
- Computer skills
- Art for the community
- Job search skills
- Re-entry support
- Writing skills
- Book discussion groups
- Math for college placement
- Book drives for children of inmates
- and other outreach projects
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
— Margaret Mead
