Returning workers are highly skilled, highly trained, motivated candidates. Help your business and your community by hiring from this elite pool of candidates. Reentry candidates are more likely to return for good.
Businesses around the nation like American Airlines, The Coca-Cola Company, and Koch Industries have finally found the solution to the age-old problem of hiring and maintaining quality employees – Second Chance hiring. In partnership with Louisiana Workforce Commission and other community providers, the Louisiana Department of Corrections hosted #WorkforceWednesdays – a four-part webinar series meant to educate employers on the benefits of hiring quality candidates with criminal records.
See how your business can receive up to $2,400 for qualified new hires.
Learn about gaining access to a free insurance policy that reduces the financial burden of hiring.
Employment readiness and skills training are major components of successful reentry. Highlighted below are some of the many programs offered during incarceration that provide skills and training needed to obtain a job in growing industries upon release.
The Department of Public Safety and Corrections – Corrections Services offers educational programs to all individuals committed to and in the physical custody of the Department. These educational programs deliver English language, math, reading, and writing to help adult students acquire the skills needed to succeed in the workforce, earn a high school equivalency, and enter and succeed in college or workforce training.
Browse Adult Education Program Specifics View Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women’s Recent Graduation Video
Carpenters are involved in many different kinds of construction activities, from building highways and bridges to installing kitchen cabinets. This four-level curriculum covers content such as Building Materials, Cabinet Fabrication, and Advanced Wall Systems.
Certiport’s Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC3) is an ideal certification for anyone who wants to demonstrate critical computer and Internet skills valued in today’s academic and professional environments.
Offenders are provided information in eight critical areas of automotive repair: engine repair; automatic transmission/transaxle; manual drive training and axles; suspension and steering; brakes; electrical/electronic systems; heating and air conditioning; and engine performance.
This is a standardized curriculum that provides instruction in the basic processes of all construction crafts, including modules in, Basic Safety (Construction Site Safety Orientation), Introduction to Construction Math, Introduction to Hand Tools, Introduction to Power Tools, Introduction to Construction Drawings, Introduction to Basic Rigging, Basic Communication Skills, Basic Employability Skills, Introduction to Material Handling.
ServSafe is a food and beverage safety training and certificate program administered by the National Restaurant Association. The course discusses foodborne illnesses, including information on specific foodborne pathogens and biological toxins, such as shellfish poisoning, contamination, and food allergens, and more.
The Welding program is designed to develop skills and proficiency in various welding techniques and to develop an understanding of metals, alloys, welding electrodes, and their interrelationships. Instruction is provided in various processes and techniques of welding including; oxyfuel cutting, Flux-cored arc welding, Gas metal arc welding, pipe welding, plasma arc cutting, and blueprint reading.
The Heating/Air-Conditioning/Refrigeration (HVAC) program provides offenders with the skills to install and repair heating, air-conditioning, and refrigeration units. The graduate is prepared for entry-level employment as a residential or commercial service technician.
The OSHA 30 training is a much-needed element for protecting employees on various job sites. However, these certifications are quickly becoming standard requirements in the construction industry.
Shermond Esteen Jr. discusses his journey from drug dealer to successful entrepreneur. His love of cooking began in childhood, but was lost to the allure of street life. While incarcerated, Shermond found his passion again though culinary classes. He honed his craft for 20 years at Louisiana State Penitentiary and opened his own restaurant after his release. Now, Shermond pays his blessings forward by hiring formerly incarcerated individuals.
Alisha Disotell explains how challenge has pushed her to grow throughout her life, including the nearly two decades she spent in prison and the time after, when she began her job at Louisiana Property Assistance Agency. Her hard work inspires her coworkers and supervisors, especially Shannon Arceneaux, who discusses the benefits of hiring previously incarcerated individuals.
Ivy Mathis discusses the difficulties and successes she experienced when she returned home from prison after 26 years. Determined to make the most of her second chance, Ivy interviewed for and accepted a job with VOTE, which she describes as “a perfect fit.” She makes it a priority to be a positive example, so other incarcerated individuals can also have opportunities for success upon release.
John Moore considers the ways the reentry specialty court program impacted his life. While he was incarcerated, John began mechanical training, which helped qualify him for a job at Sunshine Quality Solutions. Over the years, John worked his way up to the position of Service Technician, even earning the title of number one mechanic in 2020. John’s manager, Terry Dronet, also discusses the ways Sunshine Quality Solutions and its customers have benefited from a Second-Chance employee.
Bernard Moore discusses the impact of the reentry specialty court program on his life. Through the efforts of the courts and correctional system, the business community, and social service organizations, this multifaceted program utilizes educational, vocational, and rehabilitative training to lower recidivism in Louisiana. While he was incarcerated, Bernard was able to begin the necessary training that qualified him for a job at Bill Hood Chevrolet and allowed him to work his way up to the position of Service Technician. Management at Bill Hood Chevrolet discusses the benefits of hiring Second Chance employees and their appreciation for Bernard’s hard work and positive example.
Regardless of their backgrounds, few people can boast the accolades Kevin Lopez has earned since his incarceration. He has obtained bachelor degrees in social work and substance abuse counselling and a master’s degree in criminal justice with a concentration in juvenile delinquency. He is currently pursuing a PhD in social work. He wrote about his experience in his book Statistic Turned Scholar, which was published in January 2021, and was a contributing author for The HBCU Experience: The Southern University System Edition, published in May 2021.
These impressive accomplishments are only part of what makes him an excellent employee. Lopez has passion for his work with the Louisiana Council of Resources, where he works with other formerly incarcerated individuals. “Without the experience of incarceration, I wouldn’t be able to touch the population I am now,” he says.
