'Second Chance Program' Offers Hope To Inmates

Finding work after serving time in jail is one of the most important steps to not returning there.

Help finding a job is available to those who want to turn their lives around, Greene County Workhouse inmates were told Wednesday in a series of presentations by Denise Carr, a senior career specialist at the American Job Center in Morristown.

Groups of 25 female inmates in the workhouse classroom trailer listened attentively as Carr told them they do have future employment options.

"We care about what you do with your life. If you need help, we will connect you with the right people," she said.

Services like resume preparation and referrals to other agencies that can assist are provided.

"We have employers who hire people with (legal) issues," Carr said.

The female workhouse inmates had many questions, including where they can go locally to receive services.

One woman voiced a disheartening frustration felt by many inmates.

"I'm grateful to be here. I'm tired of this. Every time I'm (released), I go out and I'm begging for a job. And I'm shot down job after job after job," she said. "I'm worried sick about when I get out."

Carr also urged inmates to consider attending community college under Gov. Bill Haslam's Tennessee Promise program, which allows adults state residents to attend college for the first time for free.

"Your background has nothing to do with you going to school," Carr said.

Roger Willett, administrator of the workhouse and Greene County Detention Center, said the program offers real potential for inmates to improve their lives after release.

"It gives them someone that's going to help them find employment. It gives them a point of contact," he said.

Willett and county Mayor David Crum were among Greene County officials who attended a workforce development meeting in April. They learned about the American Job Center's Second Chance Program, and Willett arranged for Carr to give presentations to workhouse inmates.

The free Second Chance Program consists of three components to help meet the needs of incarcerated persons and those who have been released from jail and are on probation or parole.

They include a customer needs assessment, job preparation and readiness, and case management follow-up after inmates are released.

The pre-release outreach service is called "We-Care," while post-release career services are called the Second Chance Job Readiness Program. "Soft skills" to make individuals more employable are taught.

Soft skills such as computer literacy, handling personal finance and education on how to re-enter the workforce in areas such as goal setting, work ethics, communication and stress management are taught.

The ultimate goals of the program are to reduce recidivism and provide tools "for a successful re-entry into the workforce," according to Carr.

The program is being offered to Greene County inmates for the first time.

"Employment seems a key piece in the puzzle, whether they're going to come back or not," Willett said. "If they don't find employment, their chances of coming back increase quite a bit. A job is one of the huge key pieces."

The Center for Workforce Development is located at Walters State College in Morristown. Carr is part of a "Second Chance Task Force" presenting details about the program to inmates in a 10-county area, including Greene.

Carr was assisted by Susan Johnson, a career specialist with the Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development.

For more information about the Second Chance Program, email ajcmorristown@outlook.com.