{"id":12069,"date":"2019-03-04T09:22:10","date_gmt":"2019-03-04T14:22:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsroom.ocfl.net\/?p=12069"},"modified":"2022-01-12T12:10:50","modified_gmt":"2022-01-12T17:10:50","slug":"building-skills-and-providing-second-chances","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsroom.ocfl.net\/2019\/03\/building-skills-and-providing-second-chances\/","title":{"rendered":"Building Skills and Providing Second Chances"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recently, when Tyree Rogers, a former Orange County Jail inmate and participant in the Inmate Construction Program, reached out to the program\u2019s manager, Robert Barnett, it was the latest of many outreaches that validated why the program was launched three years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just wanted to let you know I\u2019m still working for Lane Construction,\u201d Rogers wrote.\u00a0\u201cAlso, two months ago I received a raise, and I\u2019m set to receive another raise in January. I also have a baby girl on the way.\u00a0I\u2019m scared to death, but excited at the same time.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n

Barnett, an Orange County Corrections Department<\/a> senior community corrections officer, is always deeply moved when he hears from former students.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt shows the program is working and changing lives,\u201d Barnett said.<\/p>\n

The six-week, full-time program is a partnership among Orange County Corrections, Valencia College<\/a> and Goodwill Industries of Central Florida<\/a>. Valencia already had a construction program, but wanted to work with the jail to develop one with inmates.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe talked about a re-entry program in which inmates could train while serving time in corrections, and be equipped with the skills that would enable them to get good-paying jobs once released,\u201d explained Barnett.<\/p>\n

Valencia provides the tools and equipment, and facilitates the course curriculum. Graduates receive a Valencia College student ID that grants them free LYNX transportation for one year, a certificate of completion, three college credits toward an Associate in Science degree in Construction and Civil Engineering Technology, as well as the following certifications: National Center for Construction Education and Research; Maintenance of Traffic; First Aid\/CPR; and OSHA 10.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs an instructor, I didn\u2019t know what to expect at first, but I learned almost immediately that these students are just like you and me, but they simply made a mistake in life that landed them on the wrong side of the law,\u201d said Mark Hughes, project manager for Heavy Equipment and Construction Programs at Valencia College.<\/p>\n

Breaking the Cycle<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most importantly, the recidivism rate decreases greatly for those who complete the coursework. Ideally, inmates who go through the program go on work release, get a job with a livable wage, leave work release with some money and go to work as an employee soon after.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe program participants who do this don\u2019t come back to jail,\u201d Barnett said. \u201cThey gain confidence and realize other people care about them, which is an enormous confidence booster. And last but certainly not least, they can support themselves and their families.\u201d<\/p>\n

To date, 11 classes have graduated, and Class 12 starts late February 2019. The program, which launched in 2016, has graduated 204 students. Of those, 135 have secured full-time employment (13 females, 122 males), mostly in the construction industry.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re making a decent salary, you don\u2019t have to go down a bad path to feed your family,\u201d Hughes said.<\/p>\n

Each class also selects a service project. Completed service projects include inmate mattress carts, book shelves for the inmate library, picnic tables for a homeless drop-in center and handicap-accessible tables for a senior living facility.<\/p>\n

Partnering for a Worthy Cause<\/strong><\/p>\n

Orange County\u2019s Inmate Construction Program could not be successful without employment partners such as the I-4 Ultimate Construction Project<\/a> in concert with companies like Skanska<\/a> and The Lane Construction<\/a> Corporation. In 2017, when Lane learned about the program, it immediately got involved. To date, 90 percent of the individuals the company has hired from the program are still working there.<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo former students have also received promotions to the next level of their craft, and one individual has pleasantly surprised us with his skills in leadership and management,\u201d said Lauralee Heckman, director of communications at Lane \u201cThis same individual is working on his B.A. in Engineering, and we have every expectation that when he graduates, he\u2019ll join our engineering team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lane offers recently released graduates with opportunities that pay a living wage and also provides medical\/dental\/vision benefits in order for them to care for themselves and their families. The company also encourages growth potential through many opportunities within the company.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis partnership is a win-win-win for Lane, the program participant and <\/em>the program itself,\u201d said Heckman.<\/p>\n

Lane is proud to partner with Orange County Corrections and Valencia to provide opportunities for former offenders to learn a craft and become contributing members of society.<\/p>\n

For Orange County Corrections Department\u2019s Barnett, the program represents an opportunity to do the right thing, and Valencia\u2019s Hughes agrees.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe numbers don\u2019t lie,\u201d Hughes said. \u201cGive people the skills to make a living and support their families, and they\u2019re far less likely to get in trouble with the law. For us, this program is about second chances. It\u2019s about their futures, not their pasts.\u201d<\/p>\n

Photo Caption:\u00a0The Orange County Corrections Department Inmate Construction Program gives individuals the skills needed to secure good-paying construction jobs once released from jail.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Recently, when Tyree Rogers, a former Orange County Jail inmate and participant in the Inmate Construction Program, reached out to the program\u2019s manager, Robert Barnett, it was the latest of many outreaches that validated why the program was launched three years ago. \u201cI just wanted to let you know I\u2019m still working for Lane Construction,\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":12071,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[130],"class_list":["post-12069","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community-services","tag-corrections"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBuilding Skills and Providing Second Chances<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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