Kent jail inmates can receive job training

Inmates at the city of Kent jail soon will learn how to work as flaggers at construction sites as part of a job-training program, thanks to a grant from the Washington Jail Industries Board.

The board awarded $13,482 to the Kent Corrections Facility to provide flagger training and employment skills to inmates, according to a Kent Police media release.

The Kent jail houses misdemeanor offenders. That includes offenses such as drunk driving, domestic violence, minor assaults and petty theft.

The training consists of classroom instruction and state certification in flagging, traffic control and safety.

Those who complete the eight-hour course will receive the state-required training certificate, valid for three years, a class manual and references to several companies that hire flagger for their construction sites.

The program aims to help inmates find jobs when they return to the community, enabling them to fulfill their obligations to family and victims.

The grant will cover class materials, training supplies and instruction for several one-day classes.

It also requires the city to track the program’s success rate, to determine whether it succeeds as a re-entry program to keep trainees from returning to jail.

“A livable wage is a critical step toward former inmates successful return to the community as productive citizens,” said Lt. Curt Lutz, jail administrator, in the media release.

“This program will provide inmates with job skills they can use to get a job and keep themselves out of jail.”

Kent’s 110-bed jail facility is on Central Avenue South, just south of downtown. The jail averages 90 to 110 inmates per day.

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