“My goal is not to just give them that bus ticket and go out there and try and find the job,” she said. “I want us to find them a job before they leave the fence. I believe in these inmates that we’re talking about.”
In a press conference on yesterday, Gov. Nikki Haley, along with a few State agencies joined in an effort on giving S.C. prisoners a chance at a new start upon release of their sentences.
According to The State Newspaper, an effort has been under way for over two years, to give non-violent prisoners a fresh, new start by making jobs available before they are released, so that they can go to work immediately.
This is an awesome idea, being that this is a driving factor that many newly release inmates have to deal with once they attempt to enter back into regular society. The pressures of having to deal with the humiliation of discussing their background, along with the stress from P.O.s, family, and society of finding work can be overwhelming. A program like this, which would start the job-seeking process prior to being released would take a huge amount of pressure from these inmates. In turn, the process is also a preventative measure which may save someone from feeling an urge to commit another crime, due to lack assets and/or lack of opportunities.
Let’s hope the Governor, along with State Corrections, Employment agents, and Probation Officers are all teaming up to make sure a program like this is pushed through so that prisoners feel like they have a fighting chance when they return.
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