A prison program in Nebraska provides inmates with construction training and pre-apprenticeship certification.
The Nebraska prison system offers the program, which is run by Prairie Gold Homes Inc., a nonprofit organization that teaches inmates how to build houses.
“The 10-week course puts inmates in a classroom for about five weeks and on a job site for another five weeks,” Renee Bauer, executive director of Prairie Gold, told The Associated Press.
To qualify, inmates must have a record of good behavior, be nearing the end of their sentence and have a GED or high school diploma.
“I never did this before,” said Angelo Douglas, a 22-year-old inmate at the Community Corrections Center-Lincoln. “This is a great learning experience.”
The program consists of four courses per year and trains 6 to 12 offenders each course. The course also provides CPR and first aid training, as well as resume writing and job interview training.
Offenders who graduate receive a pre-apprenticeship certificate through the Home Builders Institute. These training skills are designed to help make offenders more employable while reducing the cost of training for their future employers, the AP reported.
“The program helps inmates better survive outside of prison,” said Mark Wentz, adult education principal for the Nebraska state prison system. “It gives us vocational training aspect to help our inmates transition to the outside.”