A new job center is now open at the East Mesa Reentry Facility in Otay Mesa. A grant from the U.S. Department of Labor pays for the program. The job center is a collaboration between the Sheriff's Department, San Diego Workforce Partnership and County Probation, as well as community program Second Chance.
The goal is to prepare inmates for their return back to the community. Six months before their release, participants learn how to use a computer, email, write resumes, practice interview skills, as well as find and apply for jobs online. Inmates also receive other services such as a free suit for job interviews, a bus pass, California ID, housing and links to substance abuse programs or services.
East Mesa Reentry Facility offers work experiences to the inmates through various vocational programs such as Culinary Arts, Bakery Program, Print Shop, Construction Trades, Painting Program, Bicycle Repair, Laundry Services, Commissary, Landscaping Program and CIVICS (Community Involved Vocational Inmate Crew Service).
Sheriff Bill Gore says, "We recognize something happened in the past that got inmates to our jails, but everyone deserves a second chance. Our goal at the job center is to encourage inmates so they can be successful and we don't find them back in our custody again."
