OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- Katlin Ford has spent the last year reexamining a series of poor choices that landed her in prison.
“I’m not coming back,” Ford said. “I’m ready to go to work and do right.”
Katlin and dozens of other returning citizens are getting an opportunity to start fresh.
Metro Technology Centers recently hosted the “Second Chances” job fair.
“They can find out what resources are out there they may not be aware of to pick up the pieces and begin fresh,“ Community Corrections Administrator Natalie Cooper said.
The job fair featured eight Oklahoma employers, all willing to give these men and women an opportunity.
“We’ve all made mistakes. Some have more visible skeletons than others,” one recruiter told us. “That shouldn’t remove them from the work force. If anything the community should show them a path forward for them.”
The second chance job seekers were able to submit applications and learn about other community resources to make their transitions easier.
“We offer them housing if they need it,” Jamie Yarborough with Work Ready Oklahoma said. “If they get employed it can change their lives. We’ve seen lives changed on a daily basis. If it’s only one person, it’s all worth it.”
And knowing there are companies willing to look beyond mistakes, gives folks like Katlin, the motivation and hope they need to succeed after incarceration.
“I talked to Amazon and feel really good about it,” Ford said. “It means a lot to get a second chance after everything I’ve been through.”
