Oconee County Sheriff’s Office Holds Graduation Ceremony for State Inmates in Certification Program
The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office recently held a graduation ceremony at the Law Enforcement Center in Walhalla, for five current and one former state inmate, who have completed courses and earned a Certified Production Technician Certification from Tri-County Technical College.
(From L – R): Oconee County Sheriff Mike Crenshaw, Keenan Davis, and Captain Jeremy Chapman of the Oconee County Detention Center.
The names of the five current inmates who received certificates will not be released by the
Sheriff’s Office due to South Carolina Department of Corrections rules and regulations. Former Inmate Keenan Davis returned to the Sheriff’s Office, after his release, to complete his participation in the program.
“We are proud of the dedication and the hard work of these men who have earned this
certification,” says Oconee County Sheriff Mike Crenshaw. “This is the first time that a college program has been taught in our Detention Center. These men will have the opportunity to earn a good living working in industry and there are industries in Oconee County that have already expressed an interest in having these men apply for jobs with their companies. In partnership with Tri-County Technical College, we have provided this opportunity and these men have demonstrated by their effort and commitment that they are ready to make a change in their lives.”
In a news release issued by the Sheriff’s Office on April 26th, it was announced that Tri-County Technical College, in cooperation with the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, would be using available technology to give State Correctional Inmates, who are currently housed at the Oconee County Detention Center, an opportunity to earn a Certified Production Technician Certification.
The Certification Program is part of Oconee County Sheriff Mike Crenshaw’s Leadership
Vision, and his long-term vision for Inmate Life Transformation and Success, which includes the “Life after Lock-Up” program.
Money for the program was made available through a state grant from the South Carolina Department of Employment and Work Force.
“Investing in the lives of these Inmates through this Certification program far outweighs the cost to taxpayers for housing an Inmate in a jail or Correctional facility,” according to Sheriff Crenshaw in the April 26th release. “We are providing these men the tools and skills not only necessary to secure a job, but to establish a career, be a taxpayer, and function as a productive citizen in our County and in our State.”