I don’t want to do this.”
—Brittany, Jobs for Life Graduate
Three days ago we celebrated the graduation of women who have completed a 16-week Jobs for Life course to prepare them for work and help them secure a job. All of them have recently been released from incarceration. Some wore ankle monitors under the classic graduation black gowns and caps, and most live in the Women’s Bridge to Hope recovery home in Shelbyville.
In every county in Indiana, there are reentrants returning to situations no different from the one that put them in prison in the first place. Within three years, a large percentage of them will be behind bars again. But in this case, UNITE INDY was there with instructors and class materials necessary to teach them how to get a job, to support themselves and their children, and how to get ahead in life.
But most importantly, the course teaches them that they are loved by God, that God created us to work, and that honesty and integrity can direct our steps to success. This kind of intervention, leading to employment has been proven to cut recidivism rates by as much as 90 percent.
It’s true, Brittany didn’t want to take the Jobs for Life course. “But you got me out of my comfort zone,” she said, “and this class has taught me where I want to go in life and how I’m going to do it. I’m just grateful for all of you.”
Tearful, smiling parents, grandparents, and children bore testament to the feeling that these women, who once were lost, are now on the road back to their hopeful families. Most were incarcerated for drug offenses. For them, life is precarious and pitfalls are everywhere. But, now they have a tool box to use as they face life’s trials, as well as friends and caring mentors who will support and guide them.
When another student, Cassie, came up to receive her certificate, she looked at her fellow reentrants and through her tears said, “We can do this if we keep God first and keep putting one foot in front of the other.”
We are so proud of them all,
Jim
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