Sheriff's Department Celebrates Workforce Graduations

No officer ever wants to see the same person return to jail after they have served their time. There have been programs across the state that attempt to combat recidivism, and White County Sheriff’s Department has celebrated the success of one such program. On August 26, they held a graduation ceremony for Certified Manufacturing General Associate (or CMFGA) and OSHA graduates. With sixteen CMFGA graduates and thirteen OSHA 30 program graduates, the programs served as proof that reentering society does not have to be an impossible battle.

“We want you better than how we found you,” said Sheriff Page when presenting the graduates. “That’s the goal. Take this and go live a better life than you’ve been living. I know you can do it. There are places out there that need you. There’s a family out there that needs you.”
The Sheriff shared a message he used to give to the young boys he coached in the past, asking the inmates: “How bad do you want to be good?”

Jail Administrator William Randolph also spoke to the inmates, explaining how the program is meant to combat recidivism. As both he and Sheriff Page said, the officers do not want to see them inside the jail again.

Randolph said, “I don’t know if you guys realize how much it means to us to see you guys go out there and put good back in the community. But today isn’t about our staff. It’s about you guys. This is an individual achievement, and we’re so proud of you. But this is also more than just an individual achievement. It represents what can be done for others in the future. It can benefit whoever may be sitting here 20 years from now.”

Donna Daniels has worked extensively with these inmates, particularly the women, and she could not have been prouder of their accomplishment during the graduation.

Daniels said, “Earning these took hard work. It took focus. To our graduates, you made the choice and put in the work. Congratulations.”

CMFGA prepares incarcerated individuals for manufacturing careers. Whether it be at a factory or otherwise, it gives them credentials to demonstrate their knowledge so that they can find career opportunities once out of jail. Many of those present, Sheriff Page, Donna Daniels, and Stacy Baxter with Upper Cumberland Workforce Connections, all expressed the same sentiment: there is no shame in factory work. It pays well, and it is a foot in the door to a better life.

OSHA 30, meanwhile, is a 30-hour training course that is intended to teach safety. Identifying hazards, protecting others on the floor, and similar safety programs are the kind of credentials required for well-paying positions in the industry. Workers with these certifications often earn more than those without.

Stacy Baxter with Upper Cumberland Workforce Connections, Matt Watkins with TCAT, and Rachel McCarthy with Orijin have all worked hard with these inmates to give them the industry skills necessary to succeed once they are out, and the Sheriff’s Department is proud of how far they have come.

Lastly, one inmate shared how grateful she was for this opportunity, and that she knows those who sat with her felt the same way. Expressing how other jails simply do not provide the respect and opportunity that White County has, she emotionally thanked them for what they have done for the graduates.