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October 8, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Computer Recovery Program:
Helping Texas schools while training offenders for certifications

TDCJ Computer Recovery ProgramOffenders at two TDCJ units are refurbishing computers for school districts around the state while also learning a marketable job skill that will help them find employment after their release. The computer recovery programs began at the Wynne Unit in 1999 and at the Daniel Unit in 2006. In the last two years, the programs have shipped over 20,000 computers to nearly 400 schools statewide. State agencies and political subdivisions can also send their surplus or salvage computers to the programs to be refurbished or recycled.

The computers' hard drives are completely wiped clean by TDCJ staff once they arrive at the recovery program so that the offenders do not have access to personal information or any other sensitive material.

The computer recovery programs give schools the ability to start or expand their student-based computer labs and provide them access to data processing equipment that they will need to understand how to operate in today's work environment.

Bobby Lumpkin, Manufacturing and Logistics Division Director for TDCJ says, "There are a number of positive points to be made when we promote the computer recovery program. One of the most significant is the opportunity to provide an offender with a marketable skillset to strengthen their chance of a successful reentry upon release."

TDCJ Computer Recovery ProgramThe programs provide eligible offenders with training and hands-on experience, as well as certifications, to increase their chances of employment in the technology field. Participating offenders at the Wynne Unit can complete several on-the-job training (OJT) programs, as well as work to prepare to take the A+ and Net+ exams. Participating offenders at the Daniel Unit also work towards OJT certification and can prepare to take the A+, Net+, Security+, Linux, Server+, Microsoft and Cisco exams.

There are 41 offenders working in the Wynne Computer Recovery Program and 70 offenders working in the Daniel Computer Recovery Program. The Daniel Unit computer recovery program also works with the Georgia Institute of Technology to prepare audio books for visually-impaired college students. Over 273,000 pages have been transcribed in the program's first 5 years.

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