FOR INCARCERATED, FORMERLY INCARCERATED, THOSE ON COMMUNITY SUPERVISION, AND YOUR FAMILIES
TX C.U.R.E. values education. We also value the inmate and their family efforts in doing what they can to work towards parole. Part of the parole process is demonstrating what the inmate has done during the course of their incarceration to show that they can be a productive member of society upon release. And, for those post release who are working to better their professional career.
In a first of its kind project in Texas, and maybe the United States, for a criminal justice advocacy organization such as ours, TX C.U.R.E. has created a non-collegiate and/or collegiate Work Life Experience Certificate program creating a professional portfolio to help inmates, formerly incarcerated persons and their family members to become successful citizens upon and after release. This Certificate program is FREE to incarcerated, and formerly incarcerated persons. At this time, however, there is a $100 fee for those on community supervision who have not been incarcerated, and family members of justice involved persons.
We have partnered with Wayland Baptist University and opened doors with Texas State University and institutions of higher education, along with second chance employers, the offices of The Texas Workforce Commission, WorkForce Solutions, and State licensing and regulatory agencies. We are offering the ability to earn an accredited work life experience certificate (accredited through Wayland), similar to what you know as the OJT Certificate and the Occupational Education Course available within the TDCJ, or the Occupational Education course offered in many institutions of higher education, allowing recognition of, and college credits, upon enrollment into a degree plan, for work life experience. Wayland offers special credit consideration for Veterans upon enrollment into a degree plan with the University.
For those who do not wish to pursue college or, at least not at this time, this accredited Certificate and portfolio provides potential employers and the licensing agencies with your detailed work life experience and your knowledge, skills, and abilities, supporting your desire for employment or reinstatement and ability to prove they are a choice candidate for employment. Our partner second chance employers offer preferential hiring considerations for those with our Certificate.
The Work Life Experience Certificate is earned by outlining competencies learned and applied in the day-to-day prison job through a detailed and comprehensive submission of your knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA), signed off by a TX C.U.R.E. Program Evaluator. Additionally, one can have their supervisor or the Unit Section Supervisor, such as Laundry Captain, Kitchen Captain, Chaplain, etc. sign off that what is being submitted meets the OJT criteria as well as further demonstration of one’s commitment to change and becoming a productive member of society upon release.
The Work Life Experience evaluation for work while/when incarcerated is based on your completing a minimum of 180 workdays, or 1440 hours at the same job in the prison. Consideration is also given for pre/post-prison work, such as Military duties and assignments.