12
While everyone makes mistakes, many employers hesitate to hire
those who've been incarcerated. Enter J.F. Ingram State Technical
College (ISTC). Since the mid-1960s, ISTC has provided adult
education, soft skills and career technical programming to justice-
involved men and women. They are the sole provider of education
services to incarcerated students in Alabama, helping them
fi nd more promising paths, readying them for employment and
helping them secure jobs. In 2022, ISTC joined with the Alabama
Department of Mental Health to provide reentry and rehabilitation
services for probationers and parolees in a residential facility for
250 men. Graduates of the Perry County Probation and Parole
Reentry Education Program are eligible to enroll in a number
of career-readiness programs and equipped with resources to
increase achievement.
The benefi ts of these efforts extend beyond individuals searching for
a second chance. Ingram's 10-week Utility Tree Trimming program,
an initiative funded in part by the Alabama Power Foundation,
combats the worker shortage in three of the state's largest industries
– forestry, land management and public utilities – using hands-on
instruction to teach students how to use climbing equipment and
Education
To provide vocational
training for previously
incarcerated individuals
Scan this
QR code
for the
Video
