December 2023
“If Yes, Please Explain”
Easing the Transition from Inmate to Employee
by Jason Henderson
Paul Blanchard is busy filling out a job application form. He recently moved to a new town and hopes a change of scenery will do him good. He has plenty of work experience and knows he would make an excellent employee. The job he held at his previous location gave him so much work experience in various fields that he’s not even sure he can fit all that information onto one page.
Blanchard spent ten years at his previous location learning everything from woodworking to plumbing to metal machinery. He can operate machines for woodworking and metal fabrication. He can even drive the forklift to haul his creations to a loading dock and onto a truck. Blanchard’s application is almost complete. There’s just one more section that needs to be filled. The small section at the bottom of the form that reads “Have you ever been convicted of a felony?” This is the dreaded moment when he must explain that his previous job location was at the Stevenson Unit in Cuero, Texas.
Carol Ann Vaughan is a professional ice breaker. As the post release employment specialist at TDCJ, she knows how hard these inmates have worked to gain knowledge and experience. She also knows there are plenty of companies in Texas looking for skilled laborers. If she can break the ice with these companies and open them up to the idea of hiring former inmates, the employment process will go much smoother, and the newly released inmate will have a significantly lower chance of ever going back to prison.
Vaughan spends a lot of time online searching for companies that could use the skills of former inmate workers from the Manufacturing, Agribusiness, and Logistics Division (MAL). She also networks with companies that already have existing partnerships with TDCJ. MAL, which includes the Inmate Work and Training Department, will often set up quarterly Skills Demonstration and Career Expos within TDCJ. “We [the Committee for the Skills Demonstration and Career Expos] send e-mails out with a flyer,” Vaughan explained. “The employer must send back registration information, so we know who’s coming. If it’s somebody new, I try to send them an e-mail beforehand to introduce myself and explain the mission and purpose of the Skills Demonstration and Career Expo.”
These expos are a way for the inmates to show off their skills, to network with potential employers and to help the inmates prepare for the social side of employment. Potential employers from various industries walk around the Expo area and watch the inmates as they work on engines and perform other skills like welding, carpentry, and computer programming. They are encouraged to speak with the inmates and have casual although informative conversations.
“I educate our staff on how they are impacting lives and what they can do to assist in our mission, and I educate employers on what TDCJ, specifically MAL, is doing to assist our incarcerated workers with developing and improving skills they can use for employment upon their release.”
After meeting in person with the inmate or an individual who MAL has informed me about who has worked with or for the inmate and has released or is about to release, Vaughan creates a resumé for the inmate, giving official job code work descriptions, complete job skills history, as well as certificates of achievement and safety training merits.
Vaughan likes to host practice interviews with inmates. Asking them questions that a potential employer might ask. Of course, the one question she prepares them for is the one regarding the reason for their incarceration. She knows that question will come up. So, it is important for the inmate to answer it honestly and to the point. “You did whatever it was. Talk about what it was and own it,” Vaughan continued. “You’re here. This is what you did and that’s not who you are anymore. Always talk about it in the past tense.”
These practice interviews have clearly paid off. One company hired an inmate straight out of prison with a job starting at over twenty dollars an hour. They also purchased a set of tools for him. There have even been instances where the employers would drive their new, former-inmate, employees to their parole appointments. Clearly these companies are willing to go the extra mile to make a difference in these workers’ lives, but also benefit their own companies with skilled, dependable workers. For the people of Texas, this is a win. Inmates are not only paying their debt to society, they are also learning rehabilitative skills, and hopefully keeping the recidivism rate low with gainful employment.
Vaughan will sometimes hear from former inmates through e-mail. They tell her about their new jobs, new experiences, and even offer advice to the next group of inmates looking for work. With every happy ending, Vaughan uses the experience and knowledge she gained to improve her approach when breaking the ice with new employers.
