SCRANTON — The Lackawanna County Prison is partnering with Johnson College to bring a training program designed to bolster inmates’ post-incarceration employment prospects to the jail on North Washington Avenue.
County Commissioners Thom Welby, Bill Gaughan and Chris Chermak authorized a memorandum of understanding last month between the college, the prison and the county prison board for the pending implementation of a prison training program Johnson already offers at county prisons in Wayne and Pike counties. It provides access to virtual instructor-based training courses allowing participants to earn industry-recognized credentials and certifications.
The program will specifically offer participating Lackawanna County Prison inmates basic electrical, electrical safety, customer service and OSHA 10 workplace safety training useful for those aspiring to work in the construction trades, manufacturing sector or hospitality industry, Johnson College Associate Vice President of Special Programs Kellyn Williams, Ph.D., said in a recent interview.
Inmates who complete the program generally earn their credentials and certifications after 10 to 20 hours of training, depending on the course, she said.
Officials lauding the program touted its goal of improving workforce readiness and its potential to reduce recidivism, the tendency of former inmates to reoffend and wind up back behind bars. Warden Tim Betti told commissioners in June that he’s “very excited” about the program.
“It’s a kind of thing that opens a door for the possibility of continued education upon release, and it will increase the employability of individuals looking to get a job as they’re leaving jail,” he said.
Gaughan also said he was proud to support the initiative.
“Too often we talk about reducing crime, reducing recidivism and making our community safer without talking about what actually works: education, job training and giving people a chance to build a better future,” he said. “This partnership will provide inmates … with access to certificate-based educational programs that can lead directly to meaningful employment opportunities after release. And that is really important, because one of the strongest predictors of whether someone successfully reenters society is whether they can find and keep a good job.”
Coincidentally, commissioners approved the agreement with Johnson College at the same mid-June meeting where leaders of the Lackawanna County Literacy Committee, a group working to reduce illiteracy and address related challenges, articulated a goal of providing dyslexia tutoring at the jail.
“Every single person who leaves our prison with a marketable skill, a certificate and a sense of purpose is one less person likely to return to the criminal justice system,” Gaughan said. “And if you combine that with what the literacy committee wants to do in terms of dyslexia, we’re really moving in the right direction. And that’s going to make our neighborhoods safer in Lackawanna County, it’s going to reduce costs to taxpayers and it’s going to give individuals the dignity that comes with honest work.”
Welby said officials “can’t exaggerate or overemphasize the importance of Commissioner Gaughan’s comments and how important it is to reduce that rate of recidivism, together with all the work of the literacy committee and the prison board in moving all of these programs forward.”
Many incarcerated people see education and training as a way to improve their situations and economic opportunities post-release, Williams said, noting solid employment can help break cycles of poverty.
“Education can really help individuals improve their lives, and I think offering these programs to incarcerated individuals … gives them a little bit of a light and a positive outlook on life to change their situation around,” she said. “Ultimately education can really change the trajectory of their lives and really improve their well-being.”
The MOU with Johnson College runs through next June.
“We have a kickoff meeting next week,” Williams said Thursday. “So I’m hopeful by mid-to-late July we’d be able to start running classes.”
The prison is not incurring any costs related to the program, Betti said.