The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) on Thursday announced that Gov. Kay Ivey had awarded $300,000 in grants to be utilized for job training programs for law enforcement and former inmates.
According to ADECA, two grants totaling $200,000 will be used to assist the law enforcement community enhance their skills in combating crime. An additional grant totaling $100,000 will be used to provide job opportunities for former inmates in an effort to reduce recidivism.
The grants, which will be administered by ADECA, were made available by funding from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
Ivey advised that the grant awards would pave the way for more opportunities for both the law enforcement community and former inmates.
“Education means more opportunities, and that is true with both the training of our law enforcement, as well as and with current inmates to make sure they can be productive citizens,” proclaimed Ivey. “I am pleased to award these grants for all three of these programs.”
Auburn University Montgomery will utilize a $100,000 grant to manage a statewide crime prevention training program for local, county, and state law enforcement officers and related personnel. An additional $100,000 grant will be used by Jacksonville State University for the continuation of training opportunities provided to local law enforcement in the basics of forensic sciences and evidence gathering.
J.F. Ingram State Technical College will use the awarded funding to continue a program that connects Ingram graduates who are inmates at surrounding prisons with employers across the state that are in need of their skills upon release.
ADECA director Kenneth Boswell asserted that his department supported the grants as a means to reduce the chances of former inmates returning to prison after reentering society.
“ADECA is pleased to join with Gov. Ivey in these three programs to continue training law enforcement officers and to teach job skills to inmates who can become law-abiding, tax-paying citizens when released from prison,” stated Boswell.
Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
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