The Association of Private Correctional and Treatment Organizations (APCTO) is the trade association for the private prison industry in the United States. We have no members in Massachusetts and there are no private prisons in your state.

Nevertheless, we want to acknowledge and compliment the State Department of Corrections and Boston University for the Prison Education Program and your paper for its staff editorial, “Education in state prisons” (page 6, Nov. 28).

BU and the state have it exactly right. Without education, inmates have no hope and without hope, they have no chance of breaking the cycle of incarceration. Ninety-nine percent of the 2 million people in American jails and prisons will be released some day. That will be 650,000 this year … and some are coming to a neighborhood near you. If we hope to keep them from re-offending and returning to prison, we must provide treatment, education and rehabilitation.

Basic GED or, as in the case of Massachusetts, advanced college courses, job training and effective drug treatment programs will reduce the number of repeat offenders by 25 percent to 40 percent, according to 2003 data from the Management and Training Corporation Institute.

Congratulations to BU and all those associated with this program and thanks to The Daily Free Press for recognizing this effort.

Michael LoBue Executive Director Association of Private Correctional and Treatment Organizations