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Muscogee County Prison warden outlines expanded training and reentry programs
Summary
Warden Herbert Walker told Columbus council about expanded GED, welding, safe-serve and OJT programs at Muscogee County Prison, emphasizing reentry and employer connections; a formerly incarcerated man shared his testimony.
Warden Herbert Walker told the Columbus City Council on March 11 that Muscogee County Prison has increased job-training and reentry services aimed at reducing recidivism, including welding certification, on-the-job training partnerships with Columbus Technical College and a safe-serve food-service certification.
Walker said the prison has 117 full-time employees and an average daily population of about 546 inmates. He said 528 inmates are assigned from the state Department of Corrections and the facility also houses a city population (he cited 48 city inmates), producing a working population used for city details and public projects.
Programs described by Walker and prison staff include: - A welding certification program (AWS welding cohorts) in partnership with Columbus Technical College. - A safe-serve (food-handling) certification and kitchen-training sequence offered by vendor partners. - An OJT (on-the-job training) program tied to Columbus Technical College that provides skills in grounds maintenance, laundry, food service and other trades. - A GED program; prison staff noted 30 inmates had received GEDs this fiscal period and the prison was recognized statewide for GED completions. - A moral recognition therapy program and OSHA and forklift safety training to increase employability.
Walker said about 200 inmates typically go out on city work details; staff stressed the programs are intended to give participants trade certifications and practical experience so they can secure employment once released. The warden noted space and infrastructure constraints at the facility27s multipurpose rooms and offices as areas for future improvement; some facility updates were included in recent budget requests.
Testimony from a formerly incarcerated man, Tim Harris, underscored the reentry message. Harris described completing transitional programming, saving money during incarceration and launching a small business as a barber after release. He urged the city and employers to help place certified former offenders into jobs. Several councilors praised the programs and urged continued employer outreach to secure hire-overs for credentialed participants.
Prison staff and council members discussed efforts to place graduates with local employers and the need for second-chance hiring partnerships. Councilors also asked about the success rate for post-release employment; staff said tracking has begun but they did not have a formal success metric yet because many programs have launched recently.
Walker thanked staff and outside partners for training contributions and said the prison is seeking continued community support for employer hiring, placement and space improvements.
Ending: Council members praised the prison27s vocational efforts and pledged to work with staff on employer outreach and reentry supports.
