It would be safe to assume that someone who works for Colorado Correctional Industries is offered the opportunity to learn new skills; however, those who make this assumption do not always realize the sheer scope of those skills. In the six years I have worked for CCI, I have learned how to perform the tasks required in at least three different career fields, but the skills I have developed along the way are far greater than the simple performance of any job. Those of us who work for CCI are afforded the opportunity to develop vital life skills that, due to myriad circumstances, we have either lost, or never had the chance to learn in the first place. Being able to accomplish a healthy work/life balance is something that is necessary for any person to be successful. Working for CCI is a chance to not only learn this balance, but to actually place it into practice in as close to a real world situation as possible. Skills such as time management, positive personal interaction, conflict resolution, and critical thinking are fostered while working for CCI. It is impossible to learn a job skill while working for CCI without also learning these life skills. If we are to be better people - if we are to become more than the crimes we have committed - if we are to have any chance of trying to heal the harm we have caused - we must first have the skills necessary to bring these ideals to fruition. Colorado Correctional Industries provides an environment where both job and life skills can be joined to create the foundation needed to accomplish this very thing.
Jefferson Kiser
#169277