SHERWOOD, Ore. (KOIN) — Learning to operate heavy machinery is not that unusual for Meagan Fuller. But the path to this point has been anything but usual.
Fuller is currently serving time at the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Wilsonville for robbery and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. She worries about what happens when she gets out in October 2025. But she’s getting job training from a business owner in Sherwood who is trying to open more doors for women released from Coffee Creek.
Being around heavy machinery is “something I’ve been around my whole life and I was really excited for,” Fuller told KOIN 6 News. “Nobody really wants to give us an opportunity being felons when we leave here, so people standing behind us and giving us this opportunity is a real game changer for us.”
One of the brains behind this game-changer is Elle Harris, who owns Harris Excavation. She mentors the women and calls them “second chance champions.”
“It’s a good job, good pay, high demand and most importantly it gives them, the opportunity to get out, make a good wage, take care of their families and hold their heads up high,” Harris said.