Community invited to attend informational session

By Staff Reports

Crenshaw County Sheriff Terry Mears, in collaboration with Lurleen B. Wallace Community College (LBW) and Crenshaw County District Judge Jon M. Folmar, has announced a new workforce training and re-entry program designed to provide county inmates with essential job skills ahead of their release dates.

“This effort, along with our work release program and other initiatives, offers inmates valuable training at our detention facility at no cost to citizens,” Mears said. “Our hope is that these skills will help inmates become productive citizens, reducing their likelihood of reoffending.”

The training program, facilitated by LBW, will offer qualified inmates training in heavy equipment operation, including skid steers, bulldozers and excavators. Other areas of training include food and beverage services, fiber optics and electrical assistance. 

The program is expected to expand in the future to add customer service operations and other skill areas.

In addition to skills training, eligible inmates will have the opportunity to participate in a monitored work release program, allowing them to apply their training in real-world jobs while still serving their sentences. Earnings from this work release will be used to pay down any court-ordered financial obligations or restitution, helping inmates begin to fulfill financial responsibilities before their release.

The program’s monitoring is supported by a new electronic system, implemented by Sheriff Mears, that operates at no cost to Crenshaw County taxpayers.

The community is invited to learn more about the program and explore opportunities for involvement. Sheriff Mears, LBW’s Jeanni Sanders, Jail Administrator Captain Angel Hebert, and other officials will host an informational session on Friday, Nov. 8, at 11 a.m. in the main courtroom of the Crenshaw County Courthouse. 

Local employers are especially encouraged to attend and discuss potential roles for skilled former inmates re-entering the workforce.