- April 19, 2024
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Five Flagler County inmates became the first graduates of the new InsideOut Dad program, on Oct. 28, inside the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility.
Sheriff Rick Staly, Chief Daniel Engert and Director Becky Quintieri attended to congratulate the inmates on the successful completion of the program.
“These gentlemen are examples of what can be achieved with programs like ‘InsideOut Dad’ and the support of community volunteers,” Staly said. “There is always an opportunity to turn a ‘setback’ into a ‘step-up’ for success. It’s my goal to always return our inmates back into our community more stable and more prepared to make good choices so they can become productive members in our community and for their children. Results like this show that our efforts are working.”
The InsideOut Dad program is a newly added and continuously running 12-week course offered to inmates in addition to the S.T.R.I.D.E. (Skills, Transitional Support, Respect, Integrity, Direction and Employment) program that was launched in 2017 by Staly and Quintieri.
InsideOut Dad is a nationwide evidence-based fatherhood program designed specifically for incarcerated fathers. Visit https://www.fatherhood.org/
— Shannon Martin, FCSO
In addition to InsideOut Dad, a new program called Homeward Bound targets practical job skills, training courses to better prepare inmates for re-entry and job readiness. The first course will train inmates to design, develop and apply custom designed vinyl graphics onto vehicles. The course will focus first on applying the vinyl graphics to officially mark all FCSO patrol fleet vehicles.
The FCSO utilized the inmate welfare fund to purchase a printer capable of printing durable, scratch-resistant prints using latex water-based inks as well as other application tools and a portable outdoor application garage at no cost to the taxpayer. In addition to providing practical job skills for the inmates, the results of this course will provide significant cost savings to the taxpayers by having inmates print and apply agency vehicle markings instead of outsourcing the work. It will also allow for a faster turnaround time to keep the FCSO patrol fleet ready for service faster.
“This is a great opportunity for inmates to learn a practical skill while serving time in the county jail that will hopefully allow them to find a job quickly after release and get back on track to be productive members of our community,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “Our goal is to help inmates leave our facility more prepared for success than when they entered.”
Staly intends to also extend this graphics application service to other government entities. All proceeds will go back into the inmate welfare fund to be used to support future course offerings that are currently in the planning phase, including culinary arts and HVAC.
The program will also focus on the “soft skills” that can also hold an inmate back when trying to obtain employment once released. Learning how to effectively interview, explain gaps in a resume and speak to a supervisor will all be part of the course curriculum.
— Brittney Kershaw, FCSO
