Jail program helps women learn construction skills to build a new start
By Sooji Nam
Click here for updates on this story
ATHENS, Georgia (WUPA) — Jasmine Peters had never imagined this would be her reality behind bars.
“I always wanted to learn a new trade and here I am getting it in one of the places, last places, I thought I would have gotten it,” Peters told CBS News Atlanta.
She, along with other women at the Athens-Clarke County Jail, is a part of the Future Foundations Jail Resident Construction Program. Students learn hands-on trade skills, including how to read a measuring tape and how to utilize hand and power tools.
Peters has been helping to build a playhouse to be auctioned at the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office Fall Festival this October.
“[The program] brought us closer because most of the girls here are in my unit, where we sleep and shower and eat together,” she said.
Peters said she has been incarcerated for about two months and has been keeping herself busy with what she calls a life-altering trade program.
“When I’m working in here, all I’m thinking about is how I can utilize this when I get out, job opportunities that will be available for me,” she said.
Jonathan Sims, the program manager, started these classes at the jail in 2024. He said a graduating class can range anywhere from 9 to 15 women.
Sims teaches these eight-hour workshops every other week and helps them connect with potential employers.
“The construction industry is the most forgiving industry there is when it comes to hiring people who have criminal records, getting out of jail, starting over. They look more toward hiring people who have some knowledge and experience,” Sims told CBS News Atlanta.
“Even though they are in jail, this gives them the opportunity to experience what working on a jobsite looks like, what the overall workforce looks for, and they can go out and talk to companies after they get out of here,” he added.
Staff added that some of the goals of the program are to reduce recidivism through career readiness and also help place those formerly incarcerated into affordable housing.
“A lot more resources for men than they offer for women, so this is opening up a box and giving them the tool to fit in their belt to find a job,” Lt. Gary Davenport of the Athens-Clarke County Jail told CBS News Atlanta.
As for Peters, she is looking forward to finishing up the playhouse.
But to her, it’s more than just a trade program. It’s a symbol of hope.
“Since my incarceration inside those walls, and inside these walls, I learned that it’s never too late to start over,” Peters said. “Sometimes we make mistakes, but just undo it and take a second, start over.”
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.