NCJ Number
166346
Journal
American Jails Volume: 9 Issue: 6 Dated: (January-February 1996) Pages: 53-57
Date Published
1996
Length
5 pages
Annotation
The Kent County (Mich.) Sheriff's Correctional Facility in Grand Rapids recently had its third semiannual Career Night, a unique event sponsored by the facility and the federally funded Life Skills for Offenders Project.
Abstract
The Life Skills Project has three parts: (1) training in anger and stress control, time and money management, employability skills, health issues, and effective parenting; (2) contacts from employers and organizations about services and job opportunities after release; and (3) inmate goals and progress checked after release. The program purposely involves corrections officers due to the importance of developing a cooperative spirit and to demonstrate that educating and rehabilitation inmates is compatible with maintaining a secure and smoothly run facility. At each Career Night 10-15 agency and business representatives make short presentations, former Life Skills students return to speak about their lives since release, and students interact with the presenters and obtain literature at their tables. The sequence is repeated twice in the same evening due to the limit of 40-50 inmates in the gym at one time. The Life Skills Project and Career Night have had positive impacts on the inmates and staff.