OPERATIONS
site with interactive resources to sup- port graduates post-release. The new culinary track is piloting in the Kansas Department of Corrections and includes three phases: Food Safety & Sanitation, Nutrition 101 and Introduction to Culi- nary Arts. Graduates of all three will be eligible for the Certified Fundamental Cook (CFC) credential from the Ameri- can Culinary Federation (ACF). “We’re proud to be the first to pilot the new culinary track of the IN2WORK program here in Kansas,” said Jeff Zmu- da, Secretary of Corrections for the Kan- sas Department of Corrections. “Over the past two years, 224 KDOC residents have graduated from IN2WORK, and we’ve seen firsthand how education, combined with hands-on training and industry-recognized certifications, cre - ates a powerful recipe for successful reentry.”Nicole McVaugh, director of I2W, got her start working in juvenile detention facilities with the youth pop- ulation, “which is where my heart sits,” she said. “I had wondered how to make a difference and how to find some growth. This current position married my educa- tion, passion and background to move the program forward in foodservice. We’re in the foodservice industry, but what we focus on is how we’re able to live our mission of inspiring purpose and empowering change in the individuals we serve every day.”The ideal class size for the program is eight to 10 students, and it’s open to all, but typically those who join are people already assigned to work in the kitchens, McVaugh said. A focus on rehabilitation and growth is the bedrock of the program, she has found. “It’s asking, ‘How are we able to impact them while they’re here?’ And the next iteration is focused on post-release sup- port to help with employment and mov- ing onto the next level,” she said. “The conversation around corrections is mov- ing and the mindset has really started to shift. Leaders, sheriffs and wardens have started to see that we’re not only providing foodservice, but something that is beneficial to the men and women there.”
How Aramark’s IN2WORK program breaks the cycle of incarceration When people are released from prison but come right back, that’s called recidivism. One solution is to provide training for individuals while they’re in prison, and this program has been proven to work.
T he American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) collects data on the American prison system, including rates of recidivism. The numbers point to a real issue: Around 66% are rearrested within 3 years, and 82% within 10 years. This happens due to a variety of factors, in- cluding systemic issues like barriers to housing, jobs and education after re- lease, according to the ACLU, and not surprisingly, this disproportionately af- fects minorities. If prisons are ideally a place for rehabilitation, then bringing opportunities for education into prisons is a way to begin addressing a complex problem. When Aramark provides foodservice for a prison, there is an opportunity BY TARA FITZPATRICK
built in to train incarcerated individuals in foodservice skills. That opportunity has grown into a fully formed program called IN2WORK (I2W), which over the past decade has helped more than 20,000 formerly incarcerated citizens nationwide rewrite their life stories. “IN2WORK is integral to our mission, and our team is always looking for ways to help returning citizens have a suc- cessful career path,” said Tim Barttrum, President and CEO of Aramark Correc- tional Services. “Adding a culinary track to our I2W program — which already has foodservice and warehousing paths — just made sense as hospitality part- ners.” Last fall, the program launched a new culinary track and launched a new web-
6
QUARTERLY | Q1
PHOTO COURTESY OF IN2WORK
Powered by FlippingBook