Inmates doing time at San Quentin State Prison take good advantage of one prison system idea that’s designed to ensure they leave prison with a certified marketable trade that pays them a livable wage.
Vocational plumbing is one of 18 trades taught in Career Technical Education. Currently, 27 inmates are enrolled in the class.
To complete the four levels of instruction, the self-pace program takes students between 15 and 24 months.
“All these guys are getting ready to work,” said instructor Zack Pryor. “They are being taught skills so that they could leave prison as apprentices or to run their own business.”
Inmates also learn resume writing and how to fill out job applications, Pryor said.
Inmate Gregory Bibbs, 49, who arrived at San Quentin in 2011, began the class four months ago. “I’m already a certified welder,” Bibbs said. “I wanted to put another trade under my belt.” Bibbs is also enrolled in the Lassen College correspondence program.
“I wanted to take a trade that I could use upon release,” said Fanon Figgers, 45.
Figgers is a life-term inmate who participates in several programs such as the violence prevention, No More Tears, and Project LA. Figgers also is in the faith-based programs, Graced Out Ministries and Maliki Dads.
One skill inmates learn in the plumbing class is the need for a good industrial supplier. Sean Luigs, co-owner of Elite Supply Source, talked to the inmates about the distribution of industrial supplies to state prisons.
Since starting the company three years ago with Jon Schultz, Luigs said they are working hard to create a great team. “We believe in the phrase, ‘a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.’”
In addition to distributing plumbing supplies, the Rancho Cordova company distributes safety equipment, chemicals and paints, tools and construction materials.
“My competitive advantage is the personal touch that I put into my company and sales,” Luigs said. “I am passionate about what I do. I modeled my company to compete with billion dollar companies.”
Several students asked Luigs if Elite Supply Source would hire ex-offenders and whether he supported the Ban-the-Box movement that removes questions about criminal convictions off job application forms.
“I don’t even know what that term is,” Luigs said. “I don’t want to know what it means. I’m all about the families who work for me.”
Luigs said that earlier this year Elite Supply Source interviewed two ex-offenders.
“The biggest thing we look for in an employee is the attitude,” Luigs said. “However; the guys we interviewed just weren’t as good as the guy we hired. It had nothing to do with the fact they were ex-offenders.”
Luigs offered a couple of quotes that he said are important to keeping a positive business attitude: “Well done is better than well said,” by Benjamin Franklin. And, after meeting runner Jim Ryun, Luigs said he liked this Ryun quote: “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.”
