Earlier this year, WSRCC partnered with the Alaska Department of Corrections (ADOC) and Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom’s office to launch the Career Connections program at six correctional facilities across Alaska. Designed as a pre-apprenticeship program, Career Connections offers inmates fundamental carpentry skills, which may help many succeed at securing Union careers after serving time. Reentry programs are vital to inmates, allowing them to develop skills while incarcerated, and after release, to help reduce rates of recidivism. Recidivism is the likelihood of an offender repeating criminal behavior, and in Alaska, it currently stands at an alarming rate of over 60%. WSRCC’s partnership with ADOC aims to help reduce that percentage, but more importantly, offer opportunities for inmates to turn their lives around. Establishing a foundation for stable and skilled employment is a key factor in doing so.
The partnership is gaining attention and was mentioned in a recent guest-written Alaska Business article that provides an in-depth look at the circumstances incarcerated people face inside and outside Alaska’s criminal justice system. Considering the fact that nearly one-third of Alaskans have a criminal record, it’s imperative for ADOC to implement skill-building opportunities that are useful, especially for occupations that won’t discriminate against job seekers with a criminal past. Career Connections offers a great pathway toward a Union Apprenticeship and beyond.