HENRY COUNTY, Ga. — A new program in Henry County is helping inmates learn skills they can put to use once they re-enter society.
Henry County Sheriff's Office is partnering with the Morehouse School of Medicine to open The Restorative Center.
The program will help inmates acquire their GED in addition to certifications in operating a forklift and welding. The center will also help them answer any questions they have regarding fatherhood.
"[It] has taught me a lot about how to deal with the outside world as far as like my actions, my choice of words," Bernard Mims, an inmate participating in the new program, said. "I've taken welding up here so I'll leave here with a significant trait to provide a more prosperous life for my family. I mean, beyond that it's just taught me how to deal with a lot more situations at a mature level."
An astounding 82% of incarcerated people in Georgia will depart jail only to re-offend within the next three to 10 years, according to Henry County Sheriff Reginald Scandrett.
Inmates themselves are hopeful these skills will help keep them on the right track.
"This is the first time being in jail, where I'm leaving with more than just connections to do bad," Mims said. "I'm leaving with tools to enter the world and do right."
The Restorative Center is being implemented in efforts to reduce recidivism – the tendency of a convicted criminal to re-offend and end up back in jail.
In a press release, officials said The Restorative Center completes a major goal in Henry County's Sheriff's Office's top six initiatives in reducing recidivism. The new program "will play a major part in mitigating the frequency of the habitual offender."