GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A Gwinnett County jail program that teaches inmates job skills is getting support to help homeless inmates when they’re released.
When inmates leave the Gwinnett County Jail, many times they are on their own to find housing and employment.
One program is changing that by helping them rebuild their lives before they even get out.
“A lot of people return because when they left the last time, they went back to the same thing,” former inmate Tanika Tavarez told Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson.
Two years ago, Tavarez was in the Gwinnett County Jail and she feared she may be trapped in that cycle.
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Then she enrolled in the Gwinnett Reentry Intervention Program, or GRIP.
“I definitely learned patience. I definitely learned a habit of working. Being able to get up and go to work every day, have something to look forward to,” Tavarez said.
But the real test came after her release in August 2023.
She said GRIP’s support system kicked in immediately.
“I then went into a sober living. I lived there for eight months. I got a job, I paid rent. And then I still live there. I still have my same job,” she said.
Now, Gwinnett County Commissioners want to make sure more success stories come out of the program.
On Tuesday, they approved $250,000 to help homeless inmates find shelter and treatment through GRIP and the United Way of Georgia.
“Our daily average population is about 200 inmates,” GRIP Project Coordinator Joey Stafford said.
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The program has grown from helping 50 people to 200 daily since adding vocational training last fall.
Inmates can earn certificates in commercial kitchen skills, pest management, landscaping, and more.
“We consider it a hand up, not a handout. Our mission is to assist with a successful reentry and reduce that recidivism,” Stafford said.
For Tavarez, the message is simple for anyone facing the same struggles.
“It’s not the end of the world. You know, ask questions. It’s possible,” Tavarez said.
The program hopes to add other job training opportunities like warehouse operations and food handling certifications.
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