The Indiana Department of Correction held its fifth Employer Day at a women’s prison in Rockville. A handful of employers and state officials attended to support inmates in finding work upon release.
Employers touring the facility met inmates participating in four training programs: culinary arts, coding, construction and one at a marketing call center.
Carrie Heck is the director of the Hoosier Initiative for Re-Entry Program. She says the employer days are just one of the ways the state is trying to connect inmates to job opportunities.
“It’s important to let the ladies and gentlemen in the facilities know that there are people outside fighting for them and really focusing on their success once they get released,” Heck says.
Rockville inmate Geraldine Livingston says it’s important for employers to reduce the stigma surrounding ex-felons in their hiring processes.
“Continue to see us as people who made mistakes, rather than DOC numbers or statistics,” Livingston says.
The state is working to put together another employer day event for technology jobs in the future.
Contact Justin at jhicks@wvpe.org or follow him on Twitter at @Hicks_JustinM.
