NCJET Expands In State Prisons

RALEIGH – After a little more than a year since implementation of a pilot program that allowed justice-involved females to register for NCWorks, the NC Jobs Exploration in Transition (NCJET) system is now in 22 facilities with nearly 700 men and women with log-ins.

NCJET is a system designed to help justice-involved individuals who have about six months remaining in their sentence find potential jobs and aid their transition into the community. The online system is designed to support individuals in jumpstarting their job search just prior to post-release and increase their chances of landing a job before or soon after getting out of prison.

Justice-involved individuals can register for NCWorks, create a resume, explore careers and look for possible future employment opportunities with the aid of correctional personnel (including opportunities with specified “Second Chance” employers that welcome formerly incarcerated individuals). They can match prospective jobs with the skills they’ve acquired during their incarcerated (and pre-incarceration) time.

Upon release, the NCJET account is transferred to NCWorks Online, which the N.C. Department of Commerce’s Division of Workforce Solutions operates. Individuals use the same username and password to access NCWorks Online as they did NCJET. NCWorks Online has the same résumé, job search, and job application functions. The restrictions to access external sites and certain jobs while they are in prison are removed once they are out.

With more than 70 NCWorks Career Centers across the state, there may not be a physical location in every county, but the offenders can search for jobs anywhere. Eventually, when an offender completes their incarcerated time, they can either go to a Career Center or access services virtually by logging in with their registration.

“This is a great thing,” said Candra Mullins, the associate warden of programs at medium-custody Albemarle Correctional Institution – one of the non-Correction Enterprises designated reentry facilities. “We piloted it last fall and it has been successful. Our peer support men have been open to it.”

Samuel Mayfield, who has been housed at Albemarle Correctional Institution since April 2005 and is scheduled to be released in 2032, has instructed others on how to use the system. He assists the men in working on the laptops in the education classroom, setting up accounts and answers any other question. He sees this as a win/win situation for the men as well as the community.

“This has been very beneficial to me,” said Mayfield, who received his associate degree in business administration from Stanly Community College while incarcerated. “And think about the offender once he gets out of prison and comes into your community. You don’t want them to return without any fundamental skills when they come back into society. This is a tool you can use that’s big to help yourself and keep the public safe.”

NCDAC Secretary Leslie Dismukes and N.C. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley visited the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women on June 30 to view NCJET and speak with justice-involved individuals. They also toured the license tag plant and spoke with Correction Enterprises staff and justice-involved individuals. 

“When people are released from our custody, they need employment and the means to find those jobs,” Sec. Dismukes said. “NCJET allows them to use resources while they are incarcerated to prepare a resume, search for jobs, contact potential employers and be ready to interview for employment after release.”

Added Sec. Lilley: “Our two departments enjoy a strong partnership, built around our shared commitment to expanding opportunity, helping more people participate in the workforce, and making even more connections with employers who will hire them. The innovative efforts by NCDAC, our Division of Workforce Solutions Information Technology team, reentry staff and NCWorks Career Centers represent part of why North Carolina is America’s top state for workforce development, and they help us meet the goals of the Governor’s Council on Workforce and Apprenticeships.”

The goal for both agencies is to have computers or kiosks in every state prison, whether they are reentry facilities or not. With about 96% of all justice involved individuals eventually returning to the public, NCJET has the potential to reduce recidivism and increase the job force.

But as is the case through the state prison system, resources and staffing are issues. In some instances, laptops are available in non-Correction Enterprises facilities when classes are not taking place. Also, the lack of staffing can put a hold on the program.

“We struggle with staffing,” said Programs Supervisor Lindsey Vanderford at Randolph Correctional Center, a minimum custody reentry facility. “We have a lot of people interested. Over the past few weeks, we’ve worked on creating schedules to create accounts and work on resumes.”

The NCJET system is just another piece in public safety by assisting justice-involved individuals be the best they can be once they get out.

“The more successful our justice-involved individuals can be, the safer our communities can be,” said Torrey Leach, the Workforce Development Manager for Correction Enterprises and one of the driving forces behind NCJET. “It started as an idea, and it’s grown into a vision to assist the incarcerated.”