Every year more than 600,000 people make the transition from prison back into local communities. With its many hurdles, the post-release transition can be painstakingly difficult.
Employment proves beneficial both for formerly incarcerated individuals and for the communities they’re being released to. Post-release employment increases economic stability and decreases recidivism, yet getting hired is one of the biggest obstacles to successful re-entry for the formerly incarcerated.
A new, first-of-its-kind report by the Prison Policy Initiative addresses the unemployment rate of formerly incarcerated people. Their analysis establishes that these individuals want to work but they face structural barriers to securing employment, especially during the period immediately following release. Moreover, a “formerly incarcerated” status reduces job chances for women more than men, especially for women who are Hispanic or African-American.
At Maya’s Place, Vocational Specialist Catherine Dowling helps clients in the earliest stages of post-release transition connect with local education, training, and job opportunities. In the coming months, we’ll highlight the vocational success stories of several Maya’s Place clients in our monthly e-newsletter, Connection. Read on to discover the story of future chef Bianca and her newly-made connection with the Street Food Institute.
“Before my incarceration, I never had difficulty getting a job,” says Bianca. “It’s different now. Street Food Institute has really helped me get my foot in the door.”
Bianca: Chef-In-Training
Twenty-two-year-old Bianca wants to become a chef, and she’s working hard to realize that goal. With the help of her Vocational Specialist at Maya’s Place, Bianca enrolled in a 12-week internship program with the Street Food Institute earlier this year.
Bianca successfully completed the program and now works 20-25 hours per week for the Street Food Institute (SFI). “I’m getting all these new skills and learning different cooking techniques, and I love it! My boss and co-workers make the work environment awesome, and I like the challenging fast pace and variety that come from vending at different locations and events.”
Developed in partnership with CNM’s culinary program, the Street Food Institute’s curriculum teaches the basics of small food-based business operations and provides students with the necessary skills, confidence, and real-world experience required to find employment or create their own business. They believe “street food has an amazing capacity to connect people and enrich our community by creating jobs, developing local business opportunities and inspiring the culinary leaders of tomorrow.”
When asked what her typical work-day looks like, Bianca said, “It’s a lot of prep work: cleaning and chopping vegetables, then traveling to the location, setting up, taking orders, cooking and serving the food. And when we’re finished at the event location, we head back to the Institute with the food truck.”
“I’m getting all these new skills and learning different cooking techniques,” says Bianca. “I love it! My boss and co-workers make the work environment awesome, and I like the challenging fast pace and variety that come from vending at different locations and events.”
Bianca describes the SFI menu as “fun and ever-changing” and recommends trying everything on it, making special mention of the Korean BBQ, Cajun Roasted Chicken, and Calabacitas Tacos.“It’s genuinely good food and I’m not just saying that because I work there.
I recently caught up with Bianca at Tasty Tuesdays during one of her shifts to witness this future chef and culinary leader in action. I ordered the Calabacitas Tacos, and after just a few short minutes, I was holding in my hand the tastiest, freshest (and healthiest) meal I’d had in weeks. Bianca was absolutely right: It’s genuinely good food. Those tacos were remarkable!
The Street Food Institute provided an exciting opportunity in Bianca’s field of interest, and with her vocational specialist’s help, she seized it. “Before my incarceration,” says Bianca, “I never had difficulty getting a job. It’s different now, and they really helped me get my foot in the door.”
Our congratulations to Bianca for her ongoing hard work and vocational success, and our gratitude and recognition to the Street Food Institute to reaching out to Maya’s Place for program interns.
Street Food Institute’s Tasty Tuesdays
If you’re interested in checking out some of the Street Food Institute’s delicious menu items, Tasty Tuesdays is a great venue. It’s a mix of food trucks, yoga instruction, family-friendly entertainment and lush, heat-relieving shade trees. Head over to Hyder Park on Tuesdays from 4:30pm to 8:30pm (weather permitting) now through October.
Written by Terry Tucker