Training Program Benefits Inmates
Dom Garrison knows some people believe prison
should be about punishment only. Garrison, superintendent of
Skills Centers with the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology
Education, thinks otherwise.
The CareerTech Skills Centers division began operations
in 1971 as the inmate training division of the Oklahoma Department
of CareerTech
In 31 years, CTSC has evolved from a division with a few occupational
training programs to a large school system with myriad programs
and services for adult and juvenile offenders. Currently, there
are 869 people involved in the CTSC programs with 94 adults in
private prisons and 35 juveniles. |
 |
| Martin Juarez places
bricks at University Medical Center in Oklahoma City. Juarez
is a former prison inmate who learned tile laying/masonry skills
while incarcerated at William S. Key Correctional Facility in
Fort Supply. |
Garrison said statistics show the CTSC programs
work. He cited a 73.1 percent training-related job placement
rating and an 88.4 percent job placement rating for individuals
who gain employment outside their CTSC training program. Beginning
salaries for the former inmates average about $9.72 an hour.
In addition, Garrison said only 2.5 percent of the trained individuals
return to prison within a year.
Dom Garrison,
Superintendent |
"I think we have made tremendous
strides and a lot of credit goes to our industry partners that
have really embraced the idea of this," Garrison said.
One of those partners is Associated General Contractors, a trade
group based in Oklahoma City.
"They give us tremendous input as to what our programs ought
to focus on," Garrison said. "The industry that we
train for is a dynamic thing. It's always changing."
The CTSC works in conjunction with the
Oklahoma Department of Corrections and Oklahoma Correctional
Industries to offer three federal apprenticeship programs for
offenders. These programs - each three years - are in meat cutting,
commercial food preparation and cabinet building.
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The CTSC also contracts with Corrections
Corp., of America, a private prison contractor, to provide training
to offenders at CCA's Davis Correctional Facility in Holdenville.
Additionally, in October 1998, the CTSC reached an agreement
with the Corrections Services Corp., to provide training services
at its Central Oklahoma Correctional Facility at McLoud.
In 1996, the CTSC entered into an agreement with the Oklahoma
Office of Juvenile Affairs to provide training to juvenile offenders.
Garrison said AGC signed an agreement with the CTSC to provide
program completers with a paid, worksite learning experience.
AGC, through its member contractors, also assists the CTSC in
developing curriculum and learning activities.
Lambert Construction of Stillwater is one of the AGC's member
contractors that has hired juveniles through the OJA program.
"We had a young man who got to work on (the renovation of)
Gallagher-Iba Arena," Garrison said. "He thought that
was pretty cool."
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Training programs average about 10
months, with the minimum-stay program being 120 days.
Garrison said CTSC also offers life skills and employability
skills training.
"If you are going to send former inmates to them, they have
to be ready to act like regular people," he said. Employers
"have to have workers that have a good work ethic."
Garrison said qualified inmates can be transferred between prisons
if a particular training program isn't offered at their correctional
center.
"We've tried real hard to put the
inmate in the program that is most suited to his aptitudes and
interests," Garrison said.
|
Bob Creason, instructor at the Boley Skills Center, assist inmate
during appliance repair class. |
Garrison, who has been involved with CTSC since 1991, said he
has heard a number of success stories from former inmates, including
Martin Juarez, who became involved with the CareerTech
program while at the William S. Key Correctional Facility in
Fort Supply.
Martin Juarez |
Juarez was interviewed for a
CareerTech promotional video in which he told his story
about going from drug dealer to productive citizen.
In the video, Juarez said he was angry about going to prison
and it showed in his attitude before being transferred from an
Alva prison to Fort Supply.
"It was the people in (Fort Supply) CareerTech who
helped me," Juarez said. "They saw something in me
that I couldn't see in myself. They cared about me."
While at Fort Supply, Juarez
learned masonry and tile laying. He also received help in preparing
his resume and finding a job. Juarez now works for an Oklahoma
City construction firm.
"I had a lot of people
tell me that I did good work," he said. "I owed it
to CareerTech."
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posted 2/12/02
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