Eight offenders complete class to prepare for life after jail

Eight offenders have completed the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office Utility Class, which offers inmates training for careers after incarceration, Sheriff Gary Driskell announced
They finished the class Nov. 14 at the South Louisiana Community College building in Baldwin. The St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center is the first facility in the state to offer this class for Department of Corrections offenders, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The Utility Class is a specialized training course that teaches participants how to locate underground lines and other obstructions that must be identified before digging or construction begins. The skills are in demand in the field of construction and in businesses that utilize the knowledge and skill set.
Completing the class were Ivory Williams, Brennan Tatum, Raymond Joseph, Joseph Bell, Randy Lee, Jacob Green, Salarious Jones and Kevin Clark
Mary Physician, Broadband Program manager for Economic and Workforce Development, shared that these men are a “great group of individuals, and it’s been a pleasure to have them in this class.”
Driskell recalled how his perspective deepened over the years.
“In my early days as a deputy, my perspective on those arrested began to deepen quickly,” Driskell said. “I began to see that many of them were men who had simply made a bad decision or mistake and needed an opportunity to do things different.
“These opportunities for advancement and learning that we offer to our offenders are the help many of them need to get a new start in life. …
“We want to see you in restaurants and stores, but not back at the LEC. I am proud of what you have accomplished here.”
Maj. Charles Parker, warden of the LEC, also expressed his pride in the graduates:
“To the sheriff and I, this is personal,” Parker said. “We want to see you make it. You guys have earned my respect.”