Some inmates in Santee are learning cooking and restaurant skills, which the Sheriff’s department says is a “recipe for a fresh start.”
The Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility is teaching a Culinary Arts Program to some of its inmates, that includes skills such as menu planning, purchasing, human resources, food presentation and serving, as well as working as a barista, said the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.
For the women incarcerated at Las Colinas, these skills offer a beacon of hope for becoming productive members of society when they leave jail, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
Through the program, they gain six months of experience working 10 hour shifts at the Missing Fork Cafe and Coffee House inside the jail.
“Every person serving time at the Las Colinas Jail will be back in the community at some point,” said Melissa Aquino, a representative from the Sheriff’s Department.
“Employment plays a critical role in creating the skills and relationships needed to become a positive part of our society. We want inmates to gain the confidence in their work skills to transition to a life beyond the bars.”
So far, 24 of 29 inmates who graduated from the program have been released from jail, while the rest continue to work as teacher’s assistants for the culinary program, according to the Sheriff’s Department. Christine Brown, the Reentry Services Manager says that the point of the program is to successfully transition inmates back into the community and find employment.
“We have women that have been released that have told us that they have actually gotten management jobs right out of custody,” said Brown.
Their valuable experiences from the program will greatly improve their ability to get a job after serving their term, which reduces the likelihood that they’ll return to a life of incarceration.
The Sheriff’s Department says that inmates are exposed to fast-paced environments and high-volume operations. They learn skills such as customer service, professionalism and responsibility. The inmates take classes that cover everything from food preparation to cooking, serving, equipment and food sanitation.
Johanne Gill, a Culinary Arts Graduate of the program, said, “When I went to my interview I explained to them that I was involved in a Culinary Arts class at Grossmont, and that while in training I’d picked up all the skills I needed to work inside of a kitchen as well as working behind the scenes in the manager field.”
According to the Sheriff’s Department, the program began in August 2014 while partnering with the Grossmont Adult School. Upon graduation from the Culinary Arts program, participants receive a “Manage First” certificate of restaurant management from the National Restaurant Association.
