April is “Second Chance Month,” which spotlights the barriers those with a criminal record face.
In Montgomery County, Maryland, the pathway to a new life for some inmates is sweet, thanks to the “Sweet Release” bakery program.
Ben Stevenson, Montgomery County鈥檚 director of Correction and Rehabilitation, gave 蜜桃视频app a tour of the Pre-Release Center in North Bethesda, where the baking program is currently located.
鈥淐ounty Executive Mark Elrich allowed us funding to re-implement our bakery program in about 2018,鈥� Stevenson said. 鈥淲e’re just very thankful that we have a county that supports this program, supports reentry initiatives, and allows us to do this and make differences in people’s lives.鈥�
Stevenson pointed out the eight-week bakery program is one of the many different types of programs their department offers that provides certification and skills that equal livable wages for those released.
Stevenson brought 蜜桃视频app to the kitchen where chef Ava Givens was overseeing her class preparing desserts.
Givens left her job as executive chef at Montgomery College to be the bakery program manager, and she told 蜜桃视频app that her job is more than teaching people how to bake. She pointed out the most important part is to provide them skills so they can get a job.
鈥淲e also teach employability skills, teamwork, team building,鈥� Givens said. “A lot of them come in just trying to get away from the everyday jail life, and then they get in here, they actually start learning the skill.”
Out of the four graduates in Givens’ last class, three have found jobs in the field.
鈥淭hat overwhelmed me with joy,鈥� she said.
Recent graduate Jarrett Grier, who already loved cooking, was visiting in the kitchen and told 蜜桃视频app he was excited on his first day of class.
鈥淚t was a great experience, because we learned how to actually do the recipe step by step. We knew that we can’t skip procedures, because that would mess the recipe up,鈥� he said.
Hard work paid off for Grier 鈥� he now works for local bakery
Barrelin Gibbs Watson, who owns four Montgomery County locations of Nothing Bundt Cakes, explained to 蜜桃视频app that this program was a passion project for her and her husband, who is a former law enforcement officer.
鈥淲e always say, ‘who much is given, much is required.’ 鈥� Do you want them back with jobs and careers and full of opportunity, or having to start again from scratch,” Watson said. 鈥淭hese individuals are working hard to build a life for themselves after paying their debt to society.鈥�
During the tour, Stevenson and Ivan Downing, division chief of community corrections with the county, spoke to the residents and students by name.
While standing in the kitchen, Stevenson pointed out the benefits of the goodies prepared during the “Sweet Release” classes.
鈥淚鈥檓 quoting Rich Madaleno, Montgomery County鈥檚 CEO, ‘When you鈥檙e eating for justice, there are no calories,’鈥� Stevenson said.
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