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SBSO CONTINUES PARTNERSHIP WITH NUNEZ TO TEACH OFFENDERS VALUABLE SKILLS
St. Bernard Parish offenders are learning valuable skills that could open new opportunities for them when they are released, thanks to an ongoing partnership between the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office and Nunez Community College, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.
Since partnering with Nunez in 2023, the Sheriff’s Office has expanded educational opportunities for offenders to include industry certifications in construction trades and fiber optics, as well as General Education Development (GED) classes and other workforce training programs designed to prepare them for employment after their release.
The most recent class being taught is a fiber optic certification course offered at the St. Bernard Parish Correctional Facility. The weeklong course, taught by William Leary with BDI DataLynk, is open to eligible male and female offenders who have earned a GED and passed an aptitude test. Participants are receiving 40 hours of hands-on training designed to prepare them for careers in the telecommunications industry.
Sheriff Pohlmann said he remains committed to providing offenders with educational and vocational opportunities that prepare them for successful re-entry into society.
“Programs like these give participants a chance to build a better future for themselves,” the Sheriff said. “When someone leaves our jail with a marketable skill and a pathway to employment, they are far more likely to become productive members of society, which benefits not only them but our entire community.”
Col. Kevin Sensebe, commander of the Corrections Division and warden of the SBSO Correctional Facility, said the program is about giving offenders the chance to obtain gainful employment opportunities upon release.
“Rather than leaving here without anything positive going for them, they will have valuable skills that can possibly change the course of their lives,” Col. Sensebe said. “If this program helps even one person avoid returning to crime, then it has been worth the investment.”
The workforce training program for offenders at SBSO’s Correctional Facility is funded through the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections in partnership with Nunez.
The Sheriff’s Office also plans to expand its vocational offerings with future certification courses, including forklift operations, powered heavy equipment, hazardous waste operations, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Some classes will be hands-on and others will be online.
Through a donation from City Tele Coin, offenders also have access to five HP laptops that allow them to complete online courses, including OSHA certifications, ServSafe training, management courses and, in some cases, obtain Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) cards required for employment at many refineries and industrial facilities.
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