McCracken County Jail started a program in 2019 to help detainees find work after they were released. In the first year, the program included welder training, a sailor school and training in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC). Industries with a built-in workforce, ”read an article in the November 15, 2019 issue of The Paducah Sun. Relapse is a tendency to revert to a previous state or behavior – in this case, criminal behavior. Arnie Puckett was a member of the administrative team that oversaw the programs. Today Lt. Puckett still runs the programs – The Phoenix Project for the mythological bird that grew out of its own ashes – aimed at providing prisoners with a better future once they are released. “When Jailer Knight was running for office (in 2018), he wanted to implement things that would hopefully reduce relapses, which will help the taxpayer and also give people the opportunity to provide the tools they need to be successful out here “He said.” Many of these people have no one teaching them jobs and opportunities to earn a living in order to integrate into society. “The prison graduated more than 30 inmates through classes before the COVID-19 -Pandemic group broke out in early 2020, 19 of them had actually been released from prison and we only had three returns and those were minor violations, “Puckett said. “The rest of them are still working and supporting their families.” So our relapse rate for this group is 15.8% from the mid-1980s average, so it’s quite a success story. “The prison has partners who drive it empower former prisoners to recruit after their release. The West Kentucky Community and Technical College has an on-campus education that also enables inmates to earn a general professional qualification or general educational development (GED) when these people left our prison; Often times they had no support system, food, clothing – all the things we need, ”Puckett said. “We have been blessed to have partnerships with Kentucky Care – it is very helpful in counseling and giving people the support they need when they get out of prison.” It was wonderful working with Goodwill Services. You have programs that were instrumental. … And I have a list of second chance employers willing to employ these people. ”Goodwill is working to create a“ support community ”for inmates seeking better lives. “One of the biggest barriers they have is only the essentials of life,” said Silva. “Getting back into the labor market is a huge barrier for these people.” So Goodwill is trying to fill the void where people are being released from prison. We will be the missing piece of the puzzle, working with them on résumés, interview skills and advocating for these people so that they can continue to have successful employment and a good quality of life. ”Goodwill has a program called RISE – Reintegrating Individuals Effectively Every day – implemented that offers these services. “Goodwill is here to partner with (the McCracken County Jail) to support you on this journey,” said Silva. “We are that extra support to wrap them up and provide these full service.” Houchins said the RISE program started at Goodwill in Louisville and expanded to Bowling Green. “Our mission this year was to get it to Paducah,” she said. “We have Margie there; her office is actually in the Goodwill Store (at 2592 Lone Oak Road).” Any job seeker can get off the street One thing they have to agree to right away is a day and a half of classes – we call them “soft skills.” They teach self-expression. If I’ve been incarcerated or haven’t worked, how can I tell what I’ve been doing in the past five years? “Inmate Dan Miller burns metal to improve his welding technique. The Phoenix Project aims to help inmates find work and live better lives through a number of local agencies. DAVID B. SCHNEE | The Sun Die Courses also teach teamwork, reliability, conflict resolution and other topics to help people find and keep a job. After the courses are completed, they would go to Silva to determine a career path. Goo dwill also helps find essentials like uniforms, equipment, and other needs that will help people keep a job. Gerren Lawson is a recovery coach and peer support specialist at Kentucky Cares. “I help individuals develop a recovery plan that suits their needs. I associate individuals with job opportunities, food resources, housing resources. ”Lawson said he spoke with Puckett about working with inmates who have mental health problems or substance abuse. “It’s a revolving door for a lot of them,” Lawson said. “They get out, they do the same thing again, and it is a matter of time before they are back in the legal system. Employment – is great, but they have these jobs, but what do they do to solve their mental health problems and drug use problems when they do.” come out? these jobs and bring their lives into a better order. “Kentucky Cares can’t solve all of their problems, and employment can’t solve all of their problems or meetings and other things,” he said, “but when you bring all of these things together and work as a community it only increases the individual’s likelihood of success. “Suppose a person has a job and gets help with these mental health problems. Your chances of not falling behind will increase. ”Lawson said Kentucky Cares is working with Phyllis Nunn of the Eastern Kentucky Cooperative Employment Program and Temps Plus to help people find what are known as” second jobs. ” “Here at Kentucky Cares, (inmates) have more accountability,” Lawson said. “When they get to their appointments, they get drug tests and they get engaged.” Many employers take this into account, “This person is doing these other things to try not to get back to their lifestyle once they have lived.” But regardless of what second chance workers do, there is still a huge stigma attached to it. ”Puckett said another goal of the program is to become a model for prisons across the state. “Through the Delta Workforce Grant program, we ended up receiving nearly $ 280,000 to buy tools, pay our instructors, and pay for training aids,” he said. “It’s a three-year scholarship and we got it successfully.” Puckett said the prison has been criticized for not offering similar opportunities to female inmates. “I share that, but here are the realities,” he said. “In our female population, at any one point in time we only have two, three, four people who are classified to leave the safe part of the prison on an open cargo. We have classification problems that have prevented us from creating vocational training programs. We want to, but we just couldn’t make it. ”Puckett added that the prison was working to get a programming course through a company called Codify that would enable women to train for careers in the field in any of the In training programs, an inmate must be classified in order to qualify for a work program outside the prison facility. “The Department of Corrections work program consists of locations that are nonprofit government agencies,” Puckett said. “I watch these people (inmates) and if they follow the rules they have a good work ethic and cooperate, they keep themselves from having any reports – these are the people I look to put in Programs because they showed me they can do the right thing. ”The Sun spoke to current inmates taking welding classes at the Paducah Innovation Hub after students went home for the day. “This is a great opportunity for us inmates,” said Ricky Lee. “It gives us something to fall back on, make some money, and take care of our families. For people who have no experience in the industry, it’s a great experience for us. It’s a great program. ”“ It means a lot to me, ”said Dan Miller. “It’s an opportunity to get a job when I get out of here. That creates opportunities that I wouldn’t otherwise have. ”Brandon Wilbur, welding instructor at the Paducah Area Technical Center, is the instructor for the inmates’ welding course at the Paducah Innovation Hub in this vicious circle of prison and they don’t know any other skills and show them a few technical skills that you can take with you anywhere in the world and earn a living with it, “he told them to where they can navigate to work after their return and find meaningful employment that keeps them out of this vicious circle.” at 270-444-4730 .
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