MONTGOMERY —Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded $93,885 for a program that helps link former prison inmates with employers after their releases.
J.F. Ingram State Technical College in Deatsville will use funds to continue pairing skilled inmates upon their release from prison with Alabama businesses who are seeking employees with those skills.
“Men and women are in prison because they have broken the law and have to pay the penalty,” Gov. Ivey said. “But those same people who have paid their debt to society and taken advantage of their incarceration to learn a trade have earned the right to become productive citizens once they are released. This program opens the door for new opportunities.”
Founded in 1965 J.F. Ingram State Technical College provides opportunities for inmates to learn skills in numerous high-demand fields including welding, automotive body repair, plumbing, HVAC, upholstery, carpentry and more.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grant from funds made available by the U.S. Department of Justice.
“ADECA is pleased to join with Gov. Ivey and J.F. Ingram in a program that pays for itself many times over with productive workers and turned-around lives,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said.
Gov. Ivey notified Annette Funderburk, president of J.F. Ingram State Technical College, that the grant had been approved.
ADECA manages a range of programs that support law enforcement, economic development, recreation, energy conservation and water resource management.
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