The Boulder County Jail held a graduation ceremony in September for eight inmates who completed the IN2WORK vocational training program for culinary arts. The program is led by Aramark and has created programs around the U.S. for jail inmates to learn job skills that can be utilized after they are released back into the general public. There have been 6,000 graduates of Aramark’s IN2WORK program over the last two decades, but this class was the first of its kind for the Boulder County Jail.
Sergeant Chris McDonald helped to implement the program locally in Boulder to help inmates integrate into the community and reduce recidivism rates. McDonald said that the program improves the self-worth of graduates and allows them to work on themselves while earning a qualification for a practical life skill. He said inmates that complete the program will have a certificate that helps them overcome the barriers they face upon reintegration to the community.
The eight graduates are also expected to help teach and mentor the next class of inmates who work through the culinary arts program. A video shared by the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) on X includes statements from some of the graduates, who showed their appreciation for the opportunity and the skills they have learned while incarcerated…