Orange County Community Corrections Officer Wins National Award
Senior Community Corrections Officer Robert Barnett was named winner of the 2019 #Catalyst4Change Award. Barnett was presented the award at the recent American Probation and Parole Association Annual Training Institute.
As a member of the Orange County Corrections Department, Barnett was honored for his role as champion of the Inmate Construction Program. The program was developed to teach inmates employable skills and provide them a long-term career path. The team worked with Valencia College to create a six-week construction curriculum that includes the development of valuable skills and hands-on construction experience. Additionally, students receive several certifications that give them an advantage in the job market.
Since the launch of the Inmate Construction Program, the County has graduated 14 classes and approaching 300 students. Nearly 70 percent of program graduates have been successful in securing full-time employment.
“Thanks to the vision and dedication of Robert and the Orange County Corrections Department team, hundreds of people now have skills and real-life work experience that they can use to gain employment for the rest of their lives. It’s a life-changing program,” said James Newman, senior vice president for cFive.
Barnett was selected from a group of three finalists who exemplified #Catalyst4Change as champions of innovative community supervision programs across the nation. Nominations were received for dynamic individuals from multiple agencies across the nation.
Photo Caption: Robert Barnett (left) was awarded the #Catalyst4Change honor during the American Probation and Parole Association’s 44th Annual Training Institute. Also pictured is James Newman of cFive (middle) and Chief Louis A. Quiñones, Jr. (right)