Caddo Correctional offers new vocational program to give inmates job opportunities

CADDO PARISH, La. (KSLA) - A new vocational program will give Caddo Correctional Center (CCC) inmates a better opportunity to secure jobs after their time is served.

Two fiber optics curriculums are now available to Department of Corrections (DOC) inmates participating in the Northwest Regional Re-entry Program at CCC. Ten inmates enrolled in the courses and now, all ten have successfully completed at least one out of the two modules. Those inmates will participate in a graduation ceremony at 12 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 24. The graduation will be held at the Caddo Sheriff’s Re-entry Facility at 1121 Forum Drive in Shreveport.

Inmates completed the certified premises cabling technician curriculum and the certified fiber optic technician curriculum offered through Bossier Parish Community College. The Fiber Optic Association (FOA) is the governing body for the credentials.

The program uses classroom lecture and hands-on lab exercises to teach about applications, installations, and communication systems related to fiber optics.

Steeve Prator, Caddo’s sheriff, says the program is advantageous for those who are incarcerated.

“Any opportunity we can provide to help an offender succeed after release is a positive thing. We are excited to help in this process by offering training in a field that’s in demand and well-received by the participants.”

The Caddo Sheriff’s Office will continue to offer the program to DOC inmates, making it the first on-going fiber optics program offered in a correctional facility nationwide.

Congratulations to the men that graduated from the program on Friday, Feb. 24.

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