In a creative way to solve staffing needs, Fuller Industries Inc. has tapped the Kansas Department of Corrections private industry work program, employing residents from Larned State Correctional Facility.
“This is truly a win-win for all parties,” said Angi Beck, Fuller human resources director. “It helps us fill positions we were struggling to fill, and it allows these residents to make a better life for themselves after they are released.”
The inmates perform a variety of jobs at the massive plant. They change air filters in the heating/ventilation system, run forklifts hauling heavily laden pallets, jump into the production lines to help fill orders and handle other tasks as needed.
The participants are transported to Fuller each morning, work a full eight-hour day, and then back to LSCF.
“They are great employees,” Beck said. There was some skepticism at first, but that has proved unfounded.
“They are hard workers, they are polite and well-mannered, and they are eager to learn,” Beck said.
“I just want to be a sponge,” one of the inmates said, taking a short break from his duties. “I just want to learn all that I can.”
Only minimum-security inmates are eligible for the private industry (PI) jobs, and no sex offenders are allowed to leave LSCF, said Teyve Sturtz, the LSCF unit team manager who oversees the program. To participate, the inmate must be at the facility for at least 30 days, be recommended for the program, and be approved by a LSCF administrative committee.
They then fill out applications and send them to participating companies. The businesses have the final say, and the inmate is paid the same as other employees.
“The program is their way to get to get away from the facility for eight hours each day,” Sturtz said. “They can also get away from the politics of correctional facility life.”
But there is more to it than that, he said.
“This gives them a chance to make some money,” Sturtz said. “They can pay off their bills before they are released and put money into savings to help them get back on their feet. A lot of them have burned a lot of bridges with family and friends, and this helps them get started again.”
This program is also designed to help inmates learn and practice the pro-social skills and good work habits required to be self-sufficient, productive citizens ready to practice responsible crime-free behavior, according to information from the KDOC.
The program has been around for several years, Sturtz said, noting there are a handful of other area businesses taking part. It is also offered at other Kansas Department of Corrections sites around the state.
