Bond Sale Raises $21.3M For Inmate Job Training Center

SOLANO COUNTY, CA — A successful sale of $21.3 million in bonds will help finance or refinance the construction of a inmate job training center in Fairfield, state Treasurer Fiona Ma's office said Wednesday. Ma's office received 14 bids for the State Public Works Board lease revenue bonds and Morgan Stanley & Co. submitted the winning bid among all broker-dealers.

In a statement, Ma said, "I applaud the county for taking concrete steps to help incarcerated individuals rehabilitate themselves and start new lives by offering education and job training."

Ma added that the large number of bids for the bond issue is good news because it shows that investors have confidence in California.

The center is named the Rourk Vocational Training Center after Peggy Rourk who worked at the Solano County jail complex for more than 30 years and gets part of the credit for changing the focus of incarceration to rehabilitation.

The center is already built and operating. It has 9,900 square feet of classroom space for teaching subjects such as computer skills and life sciences.

Another 36,700 square feet is devoted to vocational training such as pre-apprenticeship programs in auto maintenance, carpentry and welding.

Another 60,000 square feet is space for heavy equipment operations and driver training.

— Bay City News Service