Lt. Gov. Ralph DLG Torres toured the Department of Correction on Friday to check on the inmates and discuss a new vocational program that would transition them into the workforce and back into society.<\/p>\n
Torres toured the facility with Corrections Commissioner Robert A. Guerrero, staff, and other Correction officials and a counselor overseeing the new vocational program.<\/p>\n
Torres said the vocational program is an \u201cexcellent foundation\u201d for inmates who will soon be released and provides hope for their families.<\/p>\n
According to Guerrero, the program is about a year-and-half long and is being implemented with the help of the Northern Marianas Technical Institute, through which inmates will be taught certified vocational skills.<\/p>\n
Guerrero said inmates who will soon be released will be given a three-month \u201cfurlough\u201d period. During those 90 days, the inmates will be placed at a job for six days out of a week, Thursday to Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Guerrero assured that inmates will be monitored by officers and any infraction will result in the furlough being revoked immediately.<\/p>\n
Corrections plans to start the program with electrical training. Inmates have also expressed an interest in culinary arts. The program is on a volunteer-basis, according to Corrections.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course, it\u2019s a risk,\u201d Torres told reporters on Friday. \u201cBut if the community gives that support, it\u2019s definitely a start.\u201d He noted that program participants are \u201cnon-violent\u201d inmates.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do need the community to support the program. \u2026We are trying to better our society,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Guerrero, for his part, said in-mates are also \u201cour brothers and sister, and close relatives.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a lot of recidivists here. And the reason being, when they get released they have nothing to go out there to. They don\u2019t have a job and, of course, they go back to their old ways and end up back here. When they get released, hopefully they will realize what they did wrong and build their lives from there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Torres\u2019 informational visit on Friday ties into the economic plan he promised to refine in a speech at the Saipan Rotary Club last week. Torres said in that speech that the administration would outline its vision for a Commonwealth of \u201cshared opportunity\u201d in the coming months and asked for the support of the community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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