In Garrett County and other local facilities, work incentive programs can open doors and get returning citizens back to the community faster.

Early May is a time to honor correctional officers and the work they do in the community. Garrett County highlighted two officers, Master Correctional Officer Tom Sharon and Work Incentive Supervisor Butch Miller, this month for the time they spend mentoring and guiding incarcerated individuals who have opted in to a work incentive program.

These are programs that are run at local detention centers all over the state, and can teach participants valuable work skills while exposing them to new opportunities in the community and the local government. Not only do they create a better jumping-off point for returning citizens, they can also reduce sentence time. This helps justice involved individuals return to their families and community faster and with a productive and optimistic outlook.

With the average sentence for a local detention center falling between thirty to fifty days, a reduction in time served while learning a valuable skill, and making connections with potential employers, can make a world of difference when someone leaves a facility. It also lets them see what some of the county government professional roles have to offer. As covered previously on Conduit Street, Prince George’s established a program to give businesses grants of up to $5,000 annually for reimbursement when employing a returning citizen. Prince George’s county government lead the way with nine new hires in 2023.

Read a Brookings Institution report on reentry and employment.