Nice Story

[shadco]

Former prison inmates have teamed up to get a fresh start in life by starting a forestry company in Los Lunas, New Mexico.

Following their release from Los Lunas prison in 2018, low-level offenders Lawrence Jaramillo and Joshua Melendrez decided to apply the skills they learned at the Inmate Work Camp (IWC) to the outside world, according to Fox 6.

“The training there is immaculate,” Jaramillo stated, adding, “I couldn’t have asked for any better training. They push you, they don’t let you slack off and they push you to be better for yourselves and our teammates.”

Jaramillo chose the program because it gave him the chance to be outside prison grounds and learn about fighting wildfires and other outdoor skills.

“I was able to see more of New Mexico in prison than I have my whole life living here,” he commented.

When the men realized there was a demand for forestry work in the state, they recruited several other former inmates to join their business endeavor and established All Around Forestry LLC.

“We know our job. We did it for years. Two years with IWC,” Melendrez explained, adding, “We take pride in what we do.”

The IWC was established nearly 21 years ago as a way to help former inmates acquire the tools they need to transition back into society, according to ABC News.

In January, the company landed a contract with Ponderosa Christian Camp in Sandoval County and has been working there since that time.

“They’ve gotten an amazing amount done,” said the camp’s board director, Craig Mathews.

“We hope this is just a springboard for them, and that they’re very successful in the projects they get awarded in the future,” he stated.

Melendrez said being part of the business has given him an opportunity to do things a better way.

“We did wrong in the past but that’s not us anymore, we’ve changed our lives completely,” he stated.

Now, Jaramillo hopes his family members who have been in and out of prison will follow his lead by finding some type of work that gives them a mission and hope for years to come.

“We all have a chance,” he concluded.

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[full chizel]

Some are willing to change and be better. Sadly, for most its a revolving door. Good on them for changing.

 

[jacob j.]

Some are willing to change and be better. Sadly, for most its a revolving door. Good on them for changing.

I used to run a similar program. Ours was open to the general public that wanted wildland firefighting training and general forestry experience, but we primarily targeted low-risk offenders
in the local corrections system. It was a vigorous program, lots of physical fitness and classroom training prior to anyone stepping foot on the fireline. I did have quite a few success stories
(i.e. guys that took the training and experience and moved on to better/permanent jobs) including four that got jobs with the U.S. Forest Service & Oregon Dept. of Forestry. The recidivism
rate though was high, approximately 54% of the guys that came out of the corrections system to enter the program ended up back in the corrections system within 12 months, and many
were graduates of the program.

Little known fact: Utah used to have a fire fighting crew run out of the state prison program and Utah Department of Natural Resources that at one point, was up for "type 1" designation.
Type 1 means that the crew meets extraordinarily high physical fitness and training standards and successfully passes a battery of tests developed for type 1 fire fighting resources. They
were called the "Flame-n-go" Hotshots.

 

[angelo c]

I used to run a similar program. Ours was open to the general public that wanted wildland firefighting training and general forestry experience, but we primarily targeted low-risk offenders
in the local corrections system. It was a vigorous program, lots of physical fitness and classroom training prior to anyone stepping foot on the fireline. I did have quite a few success stories
(i.e. guys that took the training and experience and moved on to better/permanent jobs) including four that got jobs with the U.S. Forest Service & Oregon Dept. of Forestry. The recidivism
rate though was high, approximately 54% of the guys that came out of the corrections system to enter the program ended up back in the corrections system within 12 months, and many
were graduates of the program.

Little known fact: Utah used to have a fire fighting crew run out of the state prison program and Utah Department of Natural Resources that at one point, was up for "type 1" designation.
Type 1 means that the crew meets extraordinarily high physical fitness and training standards and successfully passes a battery of tests developed for type 1 fire fighting resources. They
were called the "Flame-n-go" Hotshots.

Id be very proud of the "46%" that the program succeeded with. Well done JJ.

 

[shadco]

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[Mastermind]

I like this.

 

[Lightning Performance]

Good for them.

Many were never treated right or paid right, ever. Many have no idea what that is. A lot of poor people get pinched for not much but these private run corporate prison systems keep them in the system for as long as possible to get paid. Being treated with and giving respect, having desirable skills and good pay is much more important training than any written word for working men. Moral can't be that good on the street or inside. Seeing that success is earned awakens some of them.

Some bad-ass mfer's in there. Given quality direction...

I once considered starting a tree service with ex military guys. Then go find the rest to build more crews from the inside coming out to half way houses and be ready to train them. I'm no instructor but plenty of GI's are available. You could build one hell of a company here with good dependable quality tree people. More than half of the locals are very poor at tree maintenance.

 

[00wyk]

A bud of mine that used to work with CalFire says they use kids from the Juvenile halls now. Good for them. He said he wouldn't like working with them. I said at least they are working with him, and not against him.
I always believed they should teach vocation and education in prison. There's always gonna be some wild ones that won't ever learn, or grow up. But you got to give them a chance. You got to show them there's light ahead if they give themselves a chance. Many of those folks simply never had much of a chance. Many had little cause to believe in themselves.
Prison can easily be a revolving door. If you have no support network, how are you supposed to get back on track when they push you out the door? Many of these folks have no families, or their families have given up on them.
But if you only know drug dealers and criminals, it's pretty easy to find bad work just to get by and tell yourself it's gonna change, or you're gonna move on as soon as you can, or maybe you might feel like you don't deserve better, or maybe that's how the world is. Then the depression sets in when you can't find decent work because you have to tell your employer you have a record, or you're living out of your car and can't afford fuel or insurance, and then maybe you use the drugs and alcohol relieve the pain.
I'm no Christian, not by a long shot. St Peter is gonna spend a long time at that slideshow at the gates to make sure I truly soak it all in. But I am always amazed how little we listen to Leviticus - 'thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself'. We are all more alike than we think we are different - whether in spirit or in body. We all have our own battle we fight every day. We all need our brothers. And none of us are without sin. You don't have to be religious to know that. Give a thought to your fellow man once in a while.

But don't take this rant as cause to start renting out pigs.

 

[angelo c]

I like this.

Maybe some guy could teach a "repair/ rebuild" course to some of those deserving folks.... anybody....anyone?

 

[Mastermind]

Good for them.

Many were never treated right or paid right, ever. Many have no idea what that is. A lot of poor people get pinched for not much but these private run corporate prison systems keep them in the system for as long as possible to get paid. Being treated with and giving respect, having desirable skills and good pay is much more important training than any written word for working men. Moral can't be that good on the street or inside. Seeing that success is earned awakens some of them.

Some bad-ass mfer's in there. Given quality direction...

I once considered starting a tree service with ex military guys. Then go find the rest to build more crews from the inside coming out to half way houses and be ready to train them. I'm no instructor but plenty of GI's are available. You could build one hell of a company here with good dependable quality tree people. More than half of the locals are very poor at tree maintenance.

Best post you've ever made.

 

[stretch5881]

It's fantastic to hear people finding the right road. There is pride in being able to support their families.

 

[oldbitz]

Many a mans life has been turned around by being given the right kind of direction, whether it be through successful rehabilitation in a prison setting or through military service. And then there are those who no matter what they are offered will always look for the easy way out and slip back into their old habits. I applaud these guys for really trying their hardest to make a go of it and hope society gives them the chances to make good on their commitment.

 

[Farmchuck]

All some folks need is a chance. A little motivation. Someone to believe in them. Alas some young people grow up & are never afforded that opportunity. It makes it easy to latch on to the first crutch to help them deal with a feeling of hopelessness be it drugs, alcohol, or whatever. This is such an encouraging post to read. Thank you so much!

 

[~WBF]

As one gains, another suffers.
As one takes higher ground, another ground is lowered
First nations, special interest groups we speak off , as well unions.

Video killed the radio star man and he becomes a criminal. Trust me on this.

I loved that line out of shawshank Redemption: "I was a straight man on the outside, I had to come to prison to become a criminal"

You give direct award to another man that is not nearly earned it, then you are squeezing the door on the head of an honest man that has. The outcome unknown?
Wow! Crime really does pay?
..Or maybe get a minority, crippled, Lesbian fronting your company.

That's actually pretty good advice.

 

[~WBF]

No I'm not a middle aged bitter white man? why who is saying that now?

 

[shadco]

Best post you've ever made.

I am not familiar with all his posts but I sure like that one.

Over my career I had hired and supported well over a hundred people, all walks of life, men and women, all ethnicities and many nationalities.

What I learned was you can’t teach attitude, find someone who doesn’t think they’ve done or got it all but instead are out to make their mark, and have their future in front of them.

I am most proud of how far so many of them have come.

I’m a strong believer in give someone a chance and if you put them in a position give them the support and resources they need to be successful, it’s amazing how well that works.

I wish those guys the best.

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