Research shows increased educational opportunities for inmates result in lower recidivism. MTC prepares inmates to become productive members of society by offering them a number of educational, vocational and life skills programs. Although specific programs may differ depending on client requirements, each facility offers three core program components:

Orientation
All offenders entering MTC facilities are required to complete a 40-hour orientation program. This provides each offender with specific long- and short-term goals while incarcerated. Assessments are conducted in education, vocational skills, career exploration and substance abuse.

Additionally, offenders are introduced to the educational and vocational offerings available at the facility. Transition planning for offenders who will be paroled from an MTC facility also begin during orientation. Offenders begin preparing for a productive life after prison starting on the day they enter.

Finally, offenders receive information about the facility's security regulations. These include: inmate grooming and cleanliness expectations, the wearing of identification cards, expected behavior, the disciplinary process and yard and mail regulations. Once this information is provided to the inmates, they are then held responsible for any rule infractions.

Cognitive Programming
Cognitive skills training is a simple premise, but difficult to apply. Offenders must to be taught the thinking and reasoning skills they failed to acquire through life experiences. They must learn to replace their impulsive reactions with new thinking processes. This involves hard work, patience and use of the right tools for changing improper behavior.

In MTC's cognitive skills training, offenders become aware of their thinking biases through structured exercise and practice, not through lectures or confrontation. The program also uses exercises, role-playing, motivational materials, affirmations, games and peer group discussions to effectively aid offenders.

Education
Each facility incorporates an offender management tracking system to monitor educational achievement levels and academic program rolls. This helps MTC concentrate on those areas that will help inmates succeed after release. While the educational components taught at each facility vary depending on client requirements, all facilities offer courses in Adult Basic Education (ABE), General Educational Development (GED), English as a Second Language (ESL) and life skills.