Prison offers inmates skills to improve their lives

Staff members at Ohio’s North Coast Correctional Treatment Facility believe in more than just housing and rehabilitating inmates. With more than 30 programs and 24 community service opportunities, the Management & Training Corporation staffers hope to improve the lives of the men they interact with on a daily basis.

"These inmates are human. They have just made bad mistakes," Warden Hector Santiago said. "We're here to help everyone have the opportunity to turn their life around and make changes. There are guys who don't know how to mow the lawn or sweep or mop, and our programs teach them how to do it and carry it into their new lives."

The staffers at the 155-acre prison outside Cleveland pride themselves in the number and variety of programs offered at their minimum security facility. Although prisons are required to offer a certain number of programs under state law, Warden Santiago said North Coast has more programs than most.

The prison offers programs that fall under six different categories, including life skills, job training, education, religious, recovery services and medical programs. They are offered Monday through Friday for up to 12 weeks.

Inmates are given the chance to take classes that teach them how to balance their family and work lives, budget checking accounts and personal loans and manage anger. They also can take courses in writing, reading, math and social studies in order to earn their general education degree.

One of the prison's most successful programs is the Pound Puppy apprenticeship program, during which 24 inmates are given the opportunity to train 12 dogs inside the prison walls. The inmates are responsible for 100 percent of the dogs' care, including medications, grooming and feeding.

Inmates can also take their skills outside the prison with the Paw Prints on the Community program. Residents near the prison can bring their own dogs in for six-week obedience lessons free of charge. The hour and a half lessons are taught by inmates and have been well received by the public, Hoak said.

 With all the programming offered at the prison, Santiago said the success rate for inmates leaving the compound is extremely high.  He said the programs' effectiveness can be seen just by looking at the inmates' faces.

"We believe in these guys, and we can see when our training is getting through to them.  It’s a great feeling,” Santiago said.

(9/10/09)

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