Josh Estep doesn’t want to miss any more time with his 4-year-old daughter. So, he’s one of the first five Daviess County Detention Center inmates taking advantage of a new program that prepares them for re-entering the workforce by providing skills training prior to their release. Several local employers have already joined the community partnership, ready to give the inmates a second chance and offer them a job.
Estep said he’s tried multiple times to get jobs when he’s been released from jail, but most of the work he can actually get is temporary.
“You can get good seasonal jobs, but you’re not getting a career opportunity (if you’ve been in jail),” he said. “I guess that’s why I’m always turning back to the things that I’ve done. I think this program is going to be great because people are actually taking the time to work with us.”
Estep does other work at DCDC, such as working on the grounds and being on the road crew. He’s also enrolled in other classes at DCDC.
His current stint in jail began about 9 months ago, and he said he should get out around December. He said he’d committed to not returning to DCDC anymore, and he wants to be able to be there for his daughter.
“I’m doing this for her and me. I’m tired of being here,” he said.
Officials involved with the Re-entry Success Program met with nearly 40 inmates Wednesday to discuss how the program will work. The first five inmnates selected will begin the program on Monday.
Inmates selected for the program have been classified community or minimum-level custody inmates. They are already assigned as inmate workers at DCDC. These inmates were viewed as ideal candidates for the program because their cases have been adjudicated and resolved. They are serving time for non-violent convictions (vs. inmates awaiting trial) which means they will likely be returning to the community in a matter of months.
“We are excited to be part of this community effort to support re-entry and workforce readiness for the inmate,” Jailer Art Maglinger said previously. “The opportunity and willingness of these individuals in the workforce is a stabilizing factor and foundational component in their successful re-entry. ”
Initial funding for the program is being provided by the City of Owensboro and the Daviess County Fiscal Court. Combined, they have committed funding to support participation of 40 inmates in the program. The cost of tuition is $3,500 per participant.
The Re-entry Success Program will provide inmates the opportunity to earn both the Enhanced Operator I and Workforce Readiness Certificates via Owensboro Community & Technical College’s online FlexTrain platform. Inmates selected for the program will complete several courses focused on workplace skills critical to employment within manufacturing and skilled trades companies. Some of the topics include hand and power tools, lean operations, safety, and problem solving, and workplace principles. Successful program completers will have an opportunity to interview with area employers.
One employer that eagerly joined the partnerships is Sun Windows & Doors. Company President Frank Anderson said he knows from personal experience that people who make bad decisions can change their life around if they are given an opportunity to do so.
“We believe in second chances,” he said. “I have family members that have been in your shoes before. I get choked up thinking about them and their second chances. We have numerous employees that we’ve hired through Friends of Sinners. One of them has totally turned his life around. When you get out of here, many of you may not know how to properly live. This program hopefully will give you some good guidance as to living your life and making better decisions and better choices, like going to work every day and like paying your bills and being responsible.”
Other companies that have already joined the effort include TTMA, Envision, UniFirst, and CRS. Cindy Fiorella, Vice President of Workforce Solutions at OCTC, said they’ll also host an open employer forum to see if any other businesses are interested in participating.
Once the inmates complete the computer-based training course, their names will be put on a list and shared with employers. Fiorella said that will help the inmates during the hiring process.
Judge-Executive Al Mattingly said he also understood that it can be tough for someone who has served time to get a job once they re-enter society, so he said this program “is one of the best things that we could do.”
Mattingly said that the inmates who complete the program will be looked at favorably by employers because of the initiative shown.
“(As an employer), it shows me some get-up-and-go,” he said. “It shows me that you’re interested. It shows me that you don’t want to dwell on what happened in the past. It shows me that you take responsibility for what you did. … This isn’t the end. It’s only the beginning.”
Mayor Tom Watson said previously that employment is an important part of successful re-entry into the community, saying the program will provide an opportunity “to better prepare individuals for a positive crime-free life moving forward.”
On Wednesday, he told inmates “If we don’t give up on you, you shouldn’t give up on you. “
