http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20111206/NEWS02/712069939
PROVIDED PHOTO Springfield prison inmates created this cake recently. Inmates areoffered a culinary arts certificate program through the Community HighSchool of Vermont. They learn a variety of job skills that prepare themfor life after prison and to find employment.
Published December 6, 2011 in the Rutland Herald
Course teaches inmates cooking skills
By Christian Avard
Staff Writer
SPRINGFIELD — Inmates at Springfield prison have a chance for a better life after prison through a program that offers job training skills.
Culinary arts is one of the skills taught by educators with the Community High School of Vermont at the prison to help inmates find employment upon their release.
“When you are in a facility like this the mentality is survivalism. For (inmates), it’s about thinking toward this afternoon or how do I get to the next day. That’s not healthy thinking. I want them to think about ‘What am I going to do when I get back?’” vocational educator Chris Cosgrove said.
Cosgrove teaches culinary arts at Springfield prison’s Community High School of Vermont. The class was first offered in January 2009 and accredited by the National Restaurant Association. Inmates learn cooking and baking skills, healthy eating, and workplace management.
Cake-making is another skill inmates learn. Cosgrove teaches baking fundamentals, artwork and teamwork, and he said the work had paid off. Program participants have baked elaborate cakes for public events. They include Springfield prison’s CHSVT graduation, Vermont Victim Impact programs, and the Springfield High School Division II football team banquet.
Cosgrove said the program lasts from six months to two years and graduates receive National Restaurant Association ProStart certificates upon completion. Twelve inmates have graduated from the program since it was introduced a year and a half ago. Many found employment upon release while others became kitchen staff workers.
Springfield prison inmate Gary Merrill was awarded a National Restaurant Association ProStart certificate on Oct. 5 and he is now the head cook at Springfield prison. Every day, Merrill and the kitchen staff work in the kitchen from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. and are responsible for all meals. The experience Merrill gained was too valuable for words, he said.
“It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you don’t care who gets the credit. You don’t worry about who’s trying to do what. It’s about everyone coming together,” Merrill said. “I don’t think (people) realize how important something like this is because it’s positive. Everything you learn here you’re able to take back out on the streets with you.”
Cosgrove has expanded the culinary arts program and teaches a horticulture class to inmates. He teaches about food sources, healthy eating, and localvore growing.
Springfield prison now has a three-quarters of an acre garden and they have donated over 500 pounds of food to Restoring Rutland, Rutland Community Cupboard, and the Rutland County Women’s Network and Shelter.
Cosgrove hopes the program will grow and Springfield prison’s CHSVT will soon offer Master Gardener certificates. By investing in education, Cosgrove said recidivism will decrease and former inmates will become productive members of society.
“My job is to change their thinking to turn them into taxpayers,” Cosgrove said. “There is this misnomer that these programs are expensive. They’re not in terms of shipping people out. The state is getting more than its money’s worth.”
CHSVT has been offering high school, culinary arts, and vocational educational programs to Springfield prison inmates for eight years.
so we'll call the Jail the..
ReplyDeleteCommunity High School of Vermont.
Then.. Springfield will be at the TOP of High School enrollment + participation #s.
Remember the days when we used to read about the innovations and successes of our machine tool industry or a new airport runway or a new housing development???
ReplyDeleteMany thanks to Howard Dean and the town fathers for reducing us to reading articles about “cooks in the clink”!
Wow man, atleast there doing something positive with there prison time. I was in that cooking class, and I learned a lot. Were not all bad people in prison. Jobs are hard to come by and its people like you who don't give any of us a chance. We all make mistakes. Prison needs to be a place where we are given tools to be a success not a failure. Training to be a chef is a great career, and being in prison taught me a valuable lesson. I lost everything, I was in prison for a crime I didn't commit. So while I was there I did everything in my power to learn. Read read read. I took it as a wake up call. We need tools to stay out of trouble. Just because we went to prison does not mean we don't deserve a chance.
DeletePrison time should be made usefull and learning to care for yourself is important in any rehab situation.
ReplyDeletere: "Prison time should be made useful and learning to care for yourself is important in any rehab situation."
ReplyDeleteLet me clear about this. The law abiding, tax paying citizens of Vermont owe these criminals NOTHING!
The grant monies you bleeding heart liberals like yourself squander on this scum is an insult to the victims of their crimes. You think this non sense is such a good idea, get a second job and donate your own hard earn money and get your fingers the hell out of my pockets!!!!
And your an ignorant ass. My fingers are not in your pockets, ya we have victims, yes, were learning ways to better ourselves. Making ammends and taking care of us. These training programs earn money from us to support our states victim services funds. We pay our restitution. What do you want prison to be like? Where we sit around and learn nothing so we end up right back in prison? Sounds good! Its something positive for inmates. And the community because we cook for state functions and earn money without committing new crimes! I bet with what I learned in culinary arts I an ex con could out cook anyone of you!
DeleteYou paid your restitution? I thought you were innocent like all of the other liars that are locked there? Cooking classes for inmates, what a ridiculous idea. What's the next useless course, sewing classes? A stitch in time saves nine. How about a course in telling the truth?
Delete@ COOKS IN THE CLINK..
Deleteyou shouldn't be able to handle more than a cold balogna sandwich.
Cooking for state functions takes jobs away from hard working caterers and restaurants.
We actually pay for everything you do as tax payers and now we are short the income to cover scratch.
Can't wait to slap the taste out of your mouth.
Pawn of facism cooking class.....
Anything we can reasonably do to educate and rehabilitate prison inmates while they are in custody makes sense both socially and economically. What we don't want is for them to wind up back in prison after they are released -- and these programs are attempting to avoid that.
DeleteTeaching them cooking isn't going to fix the problem. Flogging them daily would most likely be more effective and certainly cheaper.
DeleteGET THE JAIL OUT OF SPRINGFIELD, VT AND YOU WON'T HAVE THESE OWN.
ReplyDelete