NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – There’s a new way for New Mexico inmates to get prepared to rejoin communities, and the program is gaining popularity. “Having things like this offered to us really is an amazing privilege,” said Daryan Winnings, inmate at the Western New Mexico Correctional Facility’s Women’s Prison in Grants.
Story continues below
In just one day, she received her forklift certification. “Being able to say that I have that under my belt, being able to take it to the streets with me, and now that I can utilize it, career wise is very exciting,” said Winings.
It’s all thanks to a new program brought in by the New Mexico Corrections Department’s Reentry Division. “We wanted to offer some programming for our inmate population that was a little faster for them to get certifications. What we’re trying to do is find employment opportunities for our inmates for jobs that are in need for jobs around New Mexico,” said Haven Scogin, Deputy Director of Reentry for NMCD.
Anyone in the inmate population is eligible for the certification program as long as they are within 2.5 years of release. “The certification we’re providing is for three years, and we want to ensure that if someone gets the certification, they then have the time to go into the community to find that employment and use that certification before they’d need to recertify,” said Scogin.
Since the forklift certification program started in early March, nearly 80 inmates have received their certification. “We’re really excited that this program has gotten the fever and excitement of the inmates,” said Scogin.
There is now even a waitlist for the certification program.
“Our goal in reentry is always to provide opportunity to build that person’s skill set, their education level, and their ability to integrate into the communities that we live,” she said. “Very few people spend their lifetime incarcerated. Most people will exit, and who do we want that person to be when they exit? How do we want them to reengage with the community?”
For Winings, this is her third time in prison. But this time, she’s a tutor to help other women inmates get their GED and has a forklift certification program. She hopes this is her last time in the facility. “Anything we can do in here to prevent the coming back is very important,” she said. “There’s nothing wrong with asking for help and taking help that’s offered.”
Winings hopes to use her certification to get a job at Amazon when she is released. NMCD is also hoping to expand the forklift certification program among different facilities.