‘Returning citizens’ find opportunities at MP Correctional Facility job fair

Marcus Duke was focused during the job fair at the Mt. Pleasant Correctional Facility on Thursday, Nov. 15.

As an inmate who is about to be a returning citizen, Duke handed out his resume to several companies represented at the fair who were looking for mechanics, maintenance repair operators, construction workers and more.

Duke, a fork lift operator and a licensed barber, plans to continue in that line of work in a few months, cutting hair part time because it's something he enjoys.

Although many of the inmates at the Mt. Pleasant Correctional Facility will not stay in the southeastern Iowa region when they get released, many of the staffing teams present said they can connect the inmates to different job opportunities across the state.

'It's still a good opportunity to get your resume out there because they can connect us with someone else,” Duke said.

Kyle Horn, founder of American's Job Honor Awards, a nonprofit organization that helps disadvantaged, spoke to businesses before the job fair about the benefits of hiring former inmates, whom he referred to as 'returning citizens” to emphasize their humanity, he said.

The number one reason Horn gave to hire a returning citizen was that Iowa is dealing with record low unemployment rates. There is a great untapped workforce of people who have been criminally involved, he said.

A lot of returning citizens have been 'locked out” of employment because of their past criminal record when in reality they are often highly motivated, grateful workers, Horn said.

'These are human beings who have served their time and paid their debt to society,” Horn said. 'Why would we add an additional sentence of a lifetime of unemployment and poverty?”

Blake Radel, from Team Staffing Solutions Inc., said her company has participated in the Mt. Pleasant Correctional Facility job fairs since they started three years ago.

Their seven locations in Iowa are struggling to find employees. The correctional facility is an untapped workforce, Radel said.

Cheryl Bloom, from Batey Ltd., a sawmill south of Mt. Pleasant, was looking for general laborers and truck drivers at the Mt. Pleasant Correctional Facility job fair.

Batey Ltd. has hired returning citizens before. Bloom said she has two success stories of men who used to be at the correctional facility and currently work at the sawmill. In fact, the correctional facility and a halfway house in Burlington are two of their main markets for employees, Bloom said.

'We're here because it's part of our community,” Bloom said. 'It's hard to find people for general labor positions.”

Another important organization represented at the job fair Thursday was the Iowa DOT. Char Waller, with the Iowa DOT, said that getting a license is the most important thing for returning citizens so they can get to and from work.

Angie Owen, with the Iowa DOT, said a lot of returning citizens have licensing problems and may have to pursue a work permit rather than a full license. The Iowa DOT is there to help the inmates work through that.

'They had some really good questions,” Owen said. 'We talked about how they can get their license back.”

Inmate Craig Reuter was grateful for the job fair, saying he learned a lot about who to go to for assistance once he is released.

Inmate Brandon Maden said he didn't think the job fair would have a lot to offer him since he plans to return to southern Missouri once he is released; however, he was surprised to learn about the ways the companies represented could connect him to job opportunities elsewhere in the Midwest.

One of the nonprofits represented, Proteus Inc., even told Maden they could help him with housing and purchase fuel to drive to and from work until he gets back on his feet.

Inmate Christian Bouska spoke with a few temp agencies and employers during the job fair. Although he won't be released for another six to eight months, Bouska said now is as good a time as any to network and put out a resume.

'It's good to see what companies are looking for help and what the employment atmosphere is like,” Bouska said. 'I'm just now at the point of thinking about what's next.”