Edward Caisse III protects Holyoke by supporting inmates post-incarceration

MassLive recently asked readers to identify people they consider Hispanic and Latino leaders in Massachusetts, working to make a difference in across the state.

Profiles of these leaders will be published during Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15. These are people our readers have identified as inspirational, who may be doing good acts for their communities. They are being recognized for their accomplishments, leadership and commitment to inspire change.

Edward W. Caisse III

Age: 61

Community: Holyoke

His story: Edward W. Caisse III works for the Hampden County Sheriff’s Office as the head of the Holyoke Safe Neighborhood Initiative (HSNI) — a program that helps inmates with a high risk of reoffending reenter their communities successfully after serving their sentences.

Caisse is working to protect the community he’s always called home. The son of a single mother of four children, his personal experience with poverty now drives him to help people who come from broken or low-income homes, he wrote.

Caisse first worked for the Hampden County Sheriff’s Office in 1990 but didn’t begin a career there until 1994 when he became a residential supervisor, he said. He then worked his way up until he became head of HSNI in 2006.

HSNI helps inmates focus on pursuing a career after incarceration through education, mentorship and by connecting them with social services, Caisse said.

“The high risk re-entry work has allowed me to see firsthand the root causes that have led many young people to incarceration,” he said. “It has also given me a passion to go out into the community to provide support to families while making a direct effort to reach young people and prevent them from going down the wrong roads that lead to incarceration.”

With the help of his wife, Caisse also runs basketball leagues, family fun nights and other community events as a means of grassroots outreach, he said. He and his wife have been doing approximately 20 hours of volunteer work a week since 2012 and sometimes manage as many as 100 volunteers.

“Volunteers investing in the lives of young people has assisted youth in making better decisions, as well as being resilient to the levels of trauma they have experienced through the hands that life has dealt them,” he said. “The intentionality in developing relationships with youth and families is important, because many youth and families in the community are struggling with social issues including poverty, substance use and various health issues.”

One of HSNI’s biggest events is an annual back-to-school celebration, Caisse said. During the event, he and his wife help connect attendees with services they are in need of, but also use it as a time to just hang out and build relationships with other community members.

“Don’t let the size of a problem, specifically the social issues that our local communities face, prevent you from rolling up your sleeves and doing your part to make an impactful change in the lives of others and our communities,” he wrote. “For many of us, the problems seem so comprehensive and make us feel that our efforts would hardly make a difference. The truth is, all of our efforts combined can make great sustainable change in our communities.”

In his words: “Our investment of time and demonstration of love and compassion for others can change a multitude of people, one person at a time!”

We’re always open to hearing about more inspiring people. If you’d like to suggest someone else who should be recognized, please fill out this form.

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