DeKalb Inmates Being Offered Training, Certification As Welders

DECATUR, GA — Since August 19, 2019, nine DeKalb County Jail inmates have not been in their cells. For most of the day, they have been in a college classroom at Georgia Piedmont Technical College (GPTC) learning to be welders. Last week, DeKalb County Sheriff Jeffrey Mann announced his plan to reduce criminal recidivism in DeKalb County by facilitating career paths for ex-inmates.

"Apparently, the welding industry is experiencing a serious shortage of trained, certified welders," Mann said. "Some 400,000 jobs as career professionals at up to $35 per hour are available nationwide for men and women who meet the requirements. Qualified ex-offenders are being encouraged to apply."

The DeKalb County Sheriff's Office has formed a partnership with GPTC in Decatur, the Technical College System of Georgia, and WorkSource DeKalb to re-direct the lives of incarcerated individuals while they are still in custody by preparing them for careers as certified welders.

"The correlation between criminal behavior and low or no education or employable skills is dismal and well documented." said Mann. "Obtaining adequate income through meaningful, long-term employment is one of the major hurdles ex-offenders face when returning to our community. It can be a determining factor in a decision to re-offend."

Mann said the agency partnership is necessary to eliminate other roadblocks such as the lack of support services and the stigma of having been incarcerated.

"We are committed to seeing every citizen trained and equipped for our workforce, regardless of where they happen to be in life," said Dr. Tavarez Holston, GPTC president. "It is our desire to see our graduates improve their quality of life by obtaining gainful employment. This is how we move our economy forward."

Participating inmates attend class on the GPTC Decatur campus, where they have use of all program facilities, such as workshops for hands-on training. The program offers tuition-free, college level training to men and women serving sentences of up to 24 months at the jail, as opposed to being housed in a state correctional facility. During the class, inmates will be counseled on job readiness in preparation for graduation.

The program partners will identify employment opportunities so that on completion of certification, each graduate can be placed in a job. After release, graduates will be eligible for assistance with support services, such as transportation and housing, if needed.

Inmates can complete General Educational Development classes and testing at no cost. With the involvement of WorkSource DeKalb, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, qualified inmates can now also receive preparation for college enrollment and work-related assessments.

The GPTC welding curriculum includes classroom instruction as well as practical training in safety, the use of equipment, and specific job-related skills. Instructors coordinate with each participant individually to teach proficiency in various welding disciplines.

The program is offered to "sentenced inmates" at the jail. They are persons who have been convicted and sentenced by a judge to serve up to 24 months in the county jail, rather than in a state prison. Unless they face charges in other jurisdictions, they will be free from custody after serving their sentences.

In many cases, the ex-offender has no home or job to return to, and no established relationship with community social service agencies. It is at this juncture, law enforcement officials agree, that the ex-offender's greatest challenges begin.

"Although this initial class is a pilot, we can change outcomes," said Mann. "We are committed to facilitating opportunities well into the future for qualified sentenced inmates at our jail. This initiative is an on-ramp for DeKalb County ex-offenders to a road that can lead to an improved quality of life. Having that advantage, we expect they will choose not to return to past behaviors, and that decision can begin to eliminate instances of recidivism in our community."