Bacus is not alone, said Doug Jacques, Corrections Clearinghouse's director of corrections and special operations. That's an enormous success. In this current job climate, we can turn around and place almost everybody in some kind of employment almost immediately. What's important now is that we need to show them that to keep a job, they have to meet their customers' needs, to get along, show them how to take care of child-care issues that pop up after they're on the job. Courses run 60 to 180 hours.
Training ranges from upholstery and computer applications to barbering and welding.
Several of the women who have graduated from the Ironworkers' program performed iron work at Safeco Field. Now there's some glamour in that. That's some of the neat stuff. Still, the number of offenders participating in these programs is low compared with the population behind bars in the state. Jacques said that is because many of these offenders are not eligible or realistic candidates for job training.