Jackson job fair aims to reduces individuals returning to prison, provide opportunities

Providing employment opportunities to individuals involved in the justice system, the Tennessee Department of Corrections held a job and resource fair on Thursday morning at its Community Resource Center in Jackson.

Dubbed the "One-Stop Reentry Shop" more than two dozen state and local participating agencies set up booths offering employment opportunities, legal services and mental health support.

Commonly referred to as recidivism, CRC Clinical Director Dr. Ben Sinclair says that stable employment is instrumental in reducing a formerly incarcerated individual's likelihood of being involved with the justice system again.

"One of the main things for recidivism is being employed," he said. "It takes away the idle time and it gives you goals."

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Though many attendees will come from the TDOC Probation and Parole office in Jackson, the event was open to anyone in the community on probation, parole, or formerly incarcerated.

The CRC is responsible for the case management of the above individuals, providing direction with things like insurance, employment, and medical needs.

At the event, Student Services Counselor Summer McClain represented the Jackson campus of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT).

All of TCAT's technical programs take between 12 and 20 months to complete and most students qualify for financial assistance.

"They need to be able to be trained and get in the workforce and have a new start, a fresh start for themselves and we hope to be able to offer that," McClain said.

Along with employment and training opportunities, entities like the Salvation Army were there as a resource to help attendees reach their respective goals through faith-based guidance and financial assistance.

"You have to meet people where they are," Case Management Specialist with the Salvation Army Lachesha Hendrix said.

"If you meet them where they are, you can help them achieve where they want to go."

The job and resource fairs are typically held two times per year and this year's participating agencies included representatives from Blue Oval SK, the Department of Human Services (DHS), Eagles Nest Family Services, West Tennessee Legal Services, the Salvation Army, and the Tennessee Housing Development Agency.

"We have just an incredible network," Sinclair said. "They need employees and our people need to be employed."

This article originally appeared on Jackson Sun: Jackson job fair aims to reduces individuals returning to prison