Training programs help county inmates help the community

A lot of negative stigmas can be attached to prisons and inmates incarcerated within them. At the Suffolk County Correctional Facility in Riverside, however, a great deal of positive work is being done. Vocational training programs and projects are offered, so that a handful of inmates can learn new skills to take with them when they’re released.

“It enables the incarcerated individuals to give back to the community by participating in this program,” said Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. “They’re learning job skills, and these skills, hopefully, will be transferable. Or a light bulb moment may happen where they may decide it may be something that they would like to pursue when they’re no longer incarcerated.”

The work program is voluntary, and small, because it’s very selective and tough to get into. Those who want to participate must meet certain criteria. It has to be determined that they won’t pose any dangers; they can’t be awaiting trial; and their sentence has to be a year or less. The program typically has four or five members, but currently just has two. Regardless of how many or how few are involved, it’s rewarding for those who take part.

Projects are completed outside the facility, and are undertaken on behalf of numerous groups and organizations. The inmates learn skills in several areas, too, including masonry, carpentry, landscaping and painting. To date, projects have been completed for organizations including the Montauk Lighthouse, Historic Bell House in Center Moriches, the Westhampton VFW, Historic Homan House in Yaphank and many more. 

Sheriff Toulon said that this year alone, the program has already seen 30 outside projects completed, including roadway cleanups in Calverton and some landscaping and restoration at historical sites. They generally put together a crew of around four incarcerated individuals and two correction officers. Typically, those officers have some expertise in what they will be doing, whether it’s landscaping or some sort of renovation work.

“Everybody’s been very, very appreciative of the fact that we’re out there willing to help,” Sheriff Toulon said. “They do see some compassion; they do see people in a different light. When you think of someone that’s in jail, you think they’re a hard-core individual, but you start to see people who are human beings, who are trying to use their hands, their minds and their bodies to do something productive for the community.”

Sheriff Toulon has helped implement and expand numerous other programs for Suffolk County inmates, as well. For example, they team up with BOCES for a workforce hospitality training program. The 48-hour curriculum provides an overview of consumer relations, interpersonal skills and hotel and restaurant operations. They also offer classes teaching HVAC, plumbing, solar and electrical skills, along with anger management and parenting skills, and even mediation and spin classes, along with many other options.

In 2020, the sheriff’s Transition and Reentry Team Resource Center also opened its doors in Yaphank. There, correctional counselors interview incoming inmates, assessing their needs during and after incarceration and making whatever referrals they need. These needs can include substance abuse treatment, education, job assistance, DSS assistance, identification issues, transportation, food, housing and clothing. They then work on a discharge plan for inmates’ successful reentry into their communities.

“I think the most important thing is that these are men and women who are returning back to our community, and they’re from our community,” Sheriff Toulon said, “which I think is really impactful for the men that are participating in it, because they’re really affecting the place that they live.”

Any group or organization interested in partnering with the Sheriff’s Office to offer inmates outside work or training opportunities can visit suffolkcountysheriffsoffice.com/volunteer.