FWF inmates celebrate in graduation

Nearly 50 female offenders at the Folsom Women's Facility graduated with nationally accredited certifications in California Prison Industry Authority (CALPIA) Career Technical Education programs Thursday morning, June 6. Among the certifications were pre-apprentice carpentry, pre-apprentice construction labor, AutoCAD, healthcare facilities maintenance, general facilities maintenance and repair and customer service training. These certifications help the offenders once they parole in careers that don't look at their past, but their future. During the graduation ceremony, there were words from CALPIA General Manager Scott Walker, Folsom State Prison Chief Deputy Warden Jennifer Benavidez, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) Undersecretary Kathleen Allison and former graduate Vera Salcedo. "We are here for one reason. We are here to make you folks successful," Walker said during the ceremony. "Part of this is you making the decision to be successful. Sometimes people incarcerated, in general, think they made some poor decisions that will define them for the rest of their life. It's never too late to make a different decision and go down a different road. I'm encouraged by the fact that you all have graduated from these programs because it tells me you've made the decision to go down that different road, so we're here to support that." Benavidez said the graduation was touching to her because of the programs available now that weren't when she began her career in corrections. "I started my career in 1997 at the Northern California Women's Facility, which is now closed," she said. "So this is touching to me for the programs that we didn't have then and that we do have today shared with PIA. It's an excitement to see you all taking that opportunity to be better wives, better mothers, better daughters, employees. This is truly touching for me, so congratulations to all of you." Salcedo paroled in February of 2017 and recently in March, her number was discharged. The mother of six spent 11 years in prison, but during that time, she made the decision to make a change. "I graduated from the CALPIA carpentry program and the labor program, so I had both certifications and both avenues to see which one I wanted to pursue after I paroled," she said. "This program was life-changing for me because it gave me something to hope for. It gave me something to look forward to reaching that gate before I paroled. This was definitely something that helped build my confidence because before then, I didn't think I was capable of anything, so this helped me to see that I had so much potential, so much that I am capable of, even in construction as a woman." Salcedo now works for Guy Yocom Construction and is in the carpenters union to do concrete work. "I do tilt-up, which is concrete buildings, warehouses, distribution centers. I love what I do," she said. "Inside I learned just the basics – forming concrete, tools, safety, and getting out there was the big picture, and I was building multiple buildings. My first project was four buildings, which was in total 1 million square feet. It was a lot bigger than what I was used to and it was very intimidating, but I just looked at what was right in front of me, the task and knowing the skills that I had and just applied them." Salcedo said she knew she had what it took to make it in a male-dominated industry, and the CALPIA programs helped build her confidence. "I know what I have in me and that's something that they were just going to have to get used to, so it definitely built my confidence," she said. Walker encouraged the graduates to take advantages of all the opportunities with CALPIA. "I would encourage all of you to take advantage of the opportunities you have here and continue, for lack of a better term, drive it like you stole it when you get out there," Walker said, as the crowd laughed. "Don't steal it, just drive it like you stole it."