(BOP) – On September 18, 2015, the Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) Petersburg, in partnership with the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), held a Recognition Ceremony for more than 40 inmates who successfully completed all the requirements for their Class A or B licenses through the Commercial Drivers License (CDL) program. The CDL Program is a 6-9 month self-paced course and includes instruction on a CDL simulator, pre-trip inspections, air brake testing, and behind-the-wheel driving.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons provides a variety of training and treatment programs to assist offenders become law-abiding citizens. The CDL program, which began in 2011 through a partnership with the Virginia DMV, is conducted at the Federal Prison Camp (FPC) Petersburg and provides inmates the opportunity to obtain a marketable skill to help them succeed upon release. All testing is monitored by DMV personnel.
"We are proud to work with our partners at the Bureau of Prisons to help these men get a second chance," said Rick Holcomb, Commissioner of the Virginia DMV and featured speaker at the Recognition Ceremony. "These programs give former inmates a head start on rejoining society in a productive way."
Since its implementation, 99 offenders (74 Class A and 25 Class B), have received their CDL licenses: forty-five of them have since released and more than half are currently working in the trucking industry.
FCC Petersburg, consisting of a medium and a low security federal correctional institutions and an adjacent minimum security prison camp, currently houses approximately 3,000 male offenders.