Inmates Graduate from Construction Training Program
SACRAMENTO – A dozen inmates from the California Institution
for Men (CIM) in Chino are the first to complete a new academic program that
makes them eligible to become apprentice craftsmen when they are released.
The CIM graduates will join approximately 500 inmates since
2002 who have earned certificates in the Inmate Ward Labor Construction
Program. The Pre-Apprenticeship
curriculum that teaches a basic overview of the building and trades industry,
health and safety regulations, CPR and first aid, as well as how to read
blueprints, and other topics.
“Few things motivate a former inmate more than getting a
job,” said Deborah Hysen, Chief Deputy Secretary for the Department of
Corrections and Rehabilitation, who manages construction and maintenance of
CDCR facilities. “These men have taken an
important step toward getting a career and leading a more constructive life.”
Inmates eligible for the program must have a high school
diploma or be in the process of obtaining a General Education Development (GED)
certificate. The seven-segment
curriculum includes four hours of academic work and 36 hours of field training
each week. Inmates must complete 120 hours of study in the classroom to earn a
certificate of completion.
During their training, the inmates have worked on many
remodel and repair projects at CIM to increase mobility and access for impaired
inmates, including repairing broken sidewalks and installing curb cuts and
ramps, and repairing a medical dispensary, infirmary, the gym and several
inmate housing units.
The Pre-Apprenticeship Program, a collaboration with the
State Building and Construction Trades Council of California and local Southern
California trade unions, was created to increase the rehabilitative value of a
training program in construction established by CDCR in 1983.
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