Formerly incarcerated workers fill workforce needs

Published on Jun 21, 2023

Written by Joan Hope — Published as feature article in Workforce Monitor

Why It Matters

Training incarcerated workers to fill workforce needs transforms their lives as well as reduces skilled labor shortages, especially in a tight labor market.

Abstract

An award-winning joint initiative between Somerset Community College (SCC) in Kentucky and the Cumberlands Workforce Board; Goodwill Industries; Lake Cumberland Area Development District; Pulaski County Detention Center; Somerset-Pulaski Economic Development Authority; and Hendrickson, an auto suspension manufacturing company, trains inmates for welding and forklift certifications. The program has led to high levels of employment after the inmates are released as well as low recidivism rates.

Learn More

In the recently published book Rethinking Work: Essays on Building a Better Workplace, guest essayist and Psychology Professor Femina P. Varghese explained that while it’s costly to educate inmates, it’s less expensive than the cost of building new prisons. “College education and job training that leads to employment are more cost-effective and increase public safety,” Varghese wrote. “RAND reported that people in prison who receive an education are less likely to recidivate and more likely to be employed upon release. In addition, such education would increase earnings for those released, allowing them to contribute more to society as tax-paying citizens.”

A metanalysis of 37 years of research conducted in 2018 showed that inmates who participated in a prison education program were 28 percent less likely to recidivate than were inmates who did not enroll in such programs.

SCC Program Changes Lives

Students in the SCC program CRITICAL: Comprehensive Rehabilitation of Inmates: Transforming Individuals, Community, and Livelihoods receive training on soft skills and also earn certifications in welding and forklift operation. They get help with preparing their résumés and interviewing for jobs at Hendrickson on their last day of class. Those who ultimately get hired start working while still incarcerated, and the money they earn is saved to pay for housing, transportation, and other expenses after they are released.

Of the 24 individuals who have completed the program since its launch in fall 2021, 50 percent are still employed, said Alesa Johnson, SCC’s Vice President for Workforce Solutions. “When one individual makes a life change, it has an effect for generations. So that’s what we’re most proud of — changing that one life.”

“Our mission is to help people progress in their career pathways, whatever those might be. And in this case, I just think it really hits home that we’re working with people who have actually seen the bottom of the barrel, so to speak, in terms of life, and coming out of prison and really figuring out how they can be better people,” added Carey Castle, SCC’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

How it started

In 2019, Johnson met with economic development and prison authorities who were considering buying software to help inmates develop soft skills, and the discussions centered around developing a wrap-around program that would also include technical skills training. In a fast-growing area with a need for trained workers, their goal was to create a program tailored to align with employer needs.

In addition to SCC providing what turned out to be an eight-week program that enabled students to earn a Welder Helper Credential and 2G/3G national welding and forklift certification, a wide range of local partners had to step up to the plate to ensure program success. “This by far is one of the most vulnerable and most stigmatized populations of individuals that you can have. It’s not going to be one of us that will be able to solve this alone, but all of us together really can make an impact,” said Becky Wilson, Goodwill’s director of career services.

For instance, figuring out how to pay inmate tuition costs at SCC was a challenging proposition, given that the inmates were not eligible for financial aid at the time. The Cumberlands Workforce Board and Lake Cumberland Area Development District came in to fund students’ tuition. They also helped inmates obtain ID (sometimes a hurdle for the formerly incarcerated) and provided job placement assistance.

Editor’s Note: Current provisions of the FAFSA Simplification Act that go into effect July 1 this year could make education more available to incarcerated individuals across the United States. Under the act, incarcerated individuals are eligible for Pell Grants, assuming the programs offered at their facilities are eligible for Pell funding.

The Somerset-Pulaski Economic Development Authority purchased an online soft skills training program that inmates utilized as a study tool.

Goodwill provided the personal protective equipment students need for the welding class. That totaled $350 per student. Goodwill also provided soft-skills training, a résumé writing class, mock interviews, and clothing for job interviews.

On the last day of class Hendrickson interviewed candidates and offered selected graduates jobs as welding and production-line workers.

A Highly positive Outcome

Wilson mentioned a less tangible program benefit that might be even more important to many graduates. “This is the first time that anyone has ever invested in them and said you can do this — and not expected the worst but expected the best,” she said. “They’re a very capable group and sometimes they just need a second chance or third or fourth, and they’ve proven they can and will do this.”

Some of CRITICAL’s graduates have shown their appreciation by giving back to the community after their release. Two of them were active in an annual toy drive to provide holiday gifts for inmates’ children, she added.

On graduation day, officials at SCC also showed their appreciation by hosting a fun celebration. Goodwill provided students with another set of clothes to wear for a graduation ceremony, and students in SCC’s cosmetology program helped with hair and makeup. Graduates were treated to a dinner and photo sessions. Members of the press attended, and many graduates were eager to tell their stories.