Pinellas County workforce training program creates second chances for inmates
“It’s not always been easy because you’re always kind of reminded of the past and things,” he said. “But that kind of just propels me to keep pushing forward.”
Parker is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence at St. Petersburg Community Release Center on a charge of DUI manslaughter that happened when he was 26.
For the past couple months, Parker has been going to the Florida Dream Center in Lealman to take part in the nonprofit’s Work Readiness Training Program, which recently expanded to offer certifications in carpentry and construction.
“We’ve learned how to build walls, we’re learning how to build roofs, we’re learning how to build pretty much everything from the ground up,” Parker said.
The Dream Center works with inmates who are granted community work release privileges and helps train them up to land jobs. Participants generally are within 12 months of the end of their sentence and are select, non-violent, low-risk offenders.
Experts say it can be challenging for people with a criminal record to get back into the workforce. A study from the Department of Justice found more than 60% of ex-offenders could not find a job within a year of their release.
