Securing a job after incarceration can be a barrier for some people re-entering society. Two groups in Indiana partnered together to help give justice-involved Hoosiers a second chance at employment.
Public Advocates in Community re-Entry, or PACE, and Indiana Construction Roundtable partnered to expand the Build Yourself training program. During the four-week program, participants received two construction certifications through hands-on training and strengthened their soft skills, including mock interviews and resume building.
PACE Deputy Director Tawnya McCrary said one of the biggest challenges for Hoosiers coming out of incarceration is understanding the importance of building their work readiness skills.
"We have to polish them up so that they have a fighting chance. That even though [they] have a background, you know what, [they are] going to appeal to the human spirit because [they] deserve a second chance, and this is what [they] bring to the table," McCrary said.
READ MORE: Group says mental health services, expanded statewide funding vital to lower recidivism
Looking for more reporting on statewide issues? Check out our projects Civically, Indiana and our climate questions project ipbs.org/climatequestions.
ICR President Chris Price said over the last five years, Indiana has had a growing demand for construction services. He said his goal with the program is to get more people into construction careers.
"What I wanted to do was bring these programs to communities that have higher rates of poverty, high rates of incarceration and even bring them into prisons," Price said. "And into people that could really use a leg up and a hand up into our industry."
McCrary said she wants PACE's participants to fill those jobs and find their purpose in life.
Last year the Build Yourself program trained 458 Hoosiers and Price said he would like that number to grow in the future.
Timoria is our labor and employment reporter. Contact her at tcunningham@wfyi.org.
Copyright 2025 IPB News