(FBOP) - Finding meaningful work after release from prison can be a daunting task, particularly for those individuals who have been incarcerated for many years. Many adults in Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) custody acquire valuable skills and work experience through programs like Federal Prison Industries (FPI), vocational training opportunities, apprenticeships, certification training and/or other First Step Act Evidence-Based Recidivism Reduction (EBRR) Programs and Productive Activities (PA). Individuals nearing release may need to learn, perhaps for the first time, a trade or skill to allow them to secure meaningful employment with a living wage and better ensure their successful reentry to the community.
A new video series titled, "Unlocking Potential," will feature a variety of programs available in the FBOP to prepare adults in our custody to return to their families and communities as better individuals and neighbors. The first video in the series showcases adults in custody (AICs) preparing for the high-demand career of operating a tractor-trailer. The program, at FPC Pensacola (FL), has provided 119 individuals the ability to earn their commercial driver's license (CDL) in 2023.
It takes hard work and determination to successfully complete the 4-month program required to take the CDL exam. The student AICs must learn the rules and regulations applicable to a CDL as well as how to safely operate an 80,000-pound tractor-trailer. Skilled instructors work with the students as they practice in state-of-the-art simulators which allow them to hone their skills before climbing into the cab of a truck. Many students report the initial training on simulators is valuable and helps allay fears of commanding a tractor-trailer for the first time. AICs releasing with their CDL will be able to obtain meaningful employment with a livable wage.
Understanding the value of AICs obtaining a CDL while in custody, and spurred by the national shortage of tractor-trailer drivers, the FBOP is working to replicate the program offered at FPC Pensacola to make it available to more AICs Bureau-wide. The FBOP is excited to release the first "Unlocking Potential" video (see above): FPC Pensacola CDL Training Program.