Grant Will Support DuPage Co. Sheriff, Others For Inmate Training

WHEATON, IL — A Wheaton-based not-for-profit organization has formed a partnership with the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office and a local career center that will provide a unique workforce training program for to prepare county inmates for future work opportunities, officials announced on Tuesday.

JUST of DuPage County and the sheriff’s office, along with WorkNet DuPage Career Center, will work together on the training program for inmates who are currently incarcerated in the county. JUST of DuPage County has been approved to serve as the training provider under the Federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and will begin certifying sheriff's deputies as instructors to deliver vocational services to help train local inmates who are part of the program, according to a news release.

A federal grant will cover the costs associated with the sheriff’s office’s janitorial services program, which graduated its 14th class and its 88th inmate at a ceremony last week. The program costs $550 per student, which includes the cost of examinations, books and other materials.

The grant will begin funding the department’s 15th class, which will begin on June 14. The federal funding will also allow the program to expand from 40 graduates per year to 120 while making the training program more financially sustainable, officials said. The funding also allows inmate welfare funds that had previously been used for the training program to be allocated instead for more mental health and addiction services programs, officials said.

“We have the undivided attention of the inmates for a period of time and we are committed to using that time to help them get things back on track with career training and honing their work readiness skills so that they are ready to get out and apply for high-paying jobs,” DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick said in the release “Nothing makes me prouder than receiving a letter from a former inmate who is succeeding on the outside because of the work done while they were here.”

The new training program being offered through the sheriff’s office is one of many programs that is supported by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Office of Employment and Training. Each year, the department issues $135 million to help support local agencies that are providing job training and career services.

WorkNet DuPage will leverage a portion of $1.2 million in adult funds for those eligible to participate in program but there is no direct exchange of funds, a DuPage County Sheriff's Department spokesman said. As potential students are assessed and determined eligible, JUST of DuPage will be issued individual vouchers on behalf of each student and the cost of the program will depend on the total amount of students funded, the spokesman said.

“The direction we’re headed in now is both exciting and innovative,” Worknet DuPage Career Center Executive Director Lisa Schvach said in a news release. “Sheriff Mendrick has been completely supportive of the efforts of everyone involved and we’re happy to play a part."

State officials believe that the grant will provide important training to inmates as they prepare for life in the work world.

“The State of Illinois is proud to support this partnership between the DuPage County Sherriff’s Office and our local workforce partner workNet DuPage in implementing this innovative training program for returning citizens,” DCEO Acting Director Sylvia Garcia said in the release. “Under Gov. Pritzker's leadership, Illinois is committed to investing in 21st Century workforce training programs to help residents across the state gain access to skills training, certifications and the tools needed to succeed in today’s economy.”