Stone County Correctional Facility offers program that prepares inmates for re-entry
The Stone County Correctional Facility has developed a waitlist for inmates interested in a program designed to prepare them for life after incarceration.
JC Roberts with the Roy Howard Community Journalism Center shows us why growing interest means some inmates will have to wait for a spot.
For inmates at the Stone County Correctional Facility, preparing for release can begin while they are still in custody.
Pathway Home 5 helps participants build skills they can use to find employment after incarceration.
Warden John Moran says more inmates are now asking to participate. “What I do see now is that we have a larger waiting list. And so, it’s obvious that the program’s working or that they’re getting something out of it because guys are wanting to sign up for it.”
Participants learn resume writing, digital and financial literacy, employment readiness and interviewing skills.
Graduate Zachary Brady says mock interviews helped him feel more prepared to find work after release. “We did mock interviews, so now whenever I get home, I won’t be nervous or not know how to speak to the people that I’m getting interviewed by.”
Support does not end when participants leave the facility.
Program administrator Chris Nixon says Pathway Home 5 can continue helping participants with employment and other needs for up to a year. “Once they get out is where we’ll pick up again and help them with their incentives and supportive service and employment and resources that we can provide for them.”
As the facility prepares for its next cohort, the growing waitlist means some inmates will have to wait for an opening.
For Brady, getting a spot means making the most of the opportunity. “If they want to take the program, take it, but take it and be serious when you take it. You have to want it. You have to dedicate yourself and stay consistent and push through.”
Pathway Home 5 is administered by the South Mississippi Planning and Development District and funded through a U.S. Department of Labor Grant.
