Edinburgh Correctional Facility Offenders Earn
American Welding Society Certification

Edinburgh, Ind. - Edinburgh Correctional Facility (JCU) joined their partners, Ivy Tech Community College Columbus, to celebrate the ninth graduating cohort of ten male offenders from JCU who have earned their American Welding Society (AWS) certification. Since the program started at JCU in 2018, 90 offenders have successfully graduated the program. 

As a part of Gov. Holcomb’s Next Level Agenda, the program trains men at the Edinburgh Correctional Facility how to weld with the ultimate goal of aligning them with gainful employment in the industry upon release. Welding is an exceptional pathway for released offenders, providing higher pay rates and stable employment upon re-entry. Currently Indiana’s correctional facilities house about 27,000 offenders and more than 90 percent of them will eventually be released back into Hoosier communities.

Warden Osburn stated, "I am so proud of the 90 offenders that have graduated this program. It has been a great partnership with Ivy Tech and their staff to provide such a life changing opportunity for these men." 

Front row from left to right: Adam Starr, Singh Gursharan, Professor Trunnis Groggins, Instructor Michael Kelly, James Meador, Oscar Johnson, Kevin Norris, Rhonda Jackson, Work force Alignment Program Manager. Back row left to right: Jason Carroll, Jon Hall, Arian Suggs, Executive Director Sherman Johnson, Charlie Jones, McKenzie Daniel, Bryan Dobbs, Administrative Assistant.

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