(BOP) - Johnny Sauls was an inmate at the Federal Prison Camp in Petersburg, Virginia in 2011 when he obtained his Commercial Drivers License (CDL). In September 2015, he returned to the Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) Petersburg to share his reentry success story at the CDL Recognition Ceremony, inspiring inmates currently in the program.
In 2010, FCC Petersburg began piloting the CDL Program. After obtaining his CDL (the first inmate to do so), Mr. Sauls became the lead instructor for the institution's CDL program, while still incarcerated at the camp. He provided general knowledge and classroom instruction on pre-trip inspections, air brakes, and behind-the-wheel driving. He assisted more than 50 inmates in studying and preparing to obtain their Class A and B licenses, before he was transferred to a Residential Reentry Center (RRC) in North Carolina. Within two weeks of his arrival at the RRC, Mr. Sauls obtained a job with a trucking company. He is currently working full time, receiving health benefits for himself and his family, and has obtained his Hazmat Endorsement. When speaking of his time in the Bureau of Prisons, Mr. Sauls said, "The CDL is one of the best programs that the BOP had to offer. It gave me a sense of hope, accomplishment and ultimately a career in the trucking industry."
Since the inception of the program at FCC Petersburg, more than 100 inmates have obtained their Commercial Drivers License and with it, the potential for their own successful reentry.