While many would disagree that the role of jail is to rehabilitate, I'd say that its job is to help rehabilitate the person for life beyond jail is to prepare them for future successes – and that includes in the workplace! It seems thatcertain parts of New York state agree with me.
Now, don't get me wrong, we're not talking about murders and rapists here. We're not talking about guys going down for 100 year sentences looking for a leg up at their parole hearing in 15 years. We're talking about young lives that made mistakes and are too young to give up on. These are the folks that need to be put on the right path and shown how to make a difference.
The classes, which are offered in collaboration between the country jail and the local community college, give participants the tools they need not just to get a job, but to succeed in the jobs they take. These are important life lessons that many people could stand to take as a refresher course.
This program gives a push in the right direction to those who need it. Before you write this section of the population off, think back to your own days of early youth and how you felt. If it wasn't you personally, you likely knew someone who wasn't sure what they wanted to do or didn't really know how to go after their dreams, or simply didn't see many viable options.
While many of us fit into that category at one point in our lives, most of us didn't resort to petty crime. Some of these young adults did and it's better to get them back on track before they take a further turn south.
While the program seems to be working well, I would like to see such classes open up to a larger part of the population, especially to those entering the workforce but don't feel like they have the tools to succeed. I bet that it's not only the employees who would benefit from such coaching.