About our pre-release/re-entry
culinary program
OVERVIEW
The United States has the highest level of incarceration
in the world. The world average is 160 people incarcerated
per 100,000 people. The US is approximately 750 people incarcerated
per 100,000 people. With approximately 700,000 people annually
being released from prisons across the US prisoners face enormous
barriers to successful reintegration back to the community.
Equipping them with valuable, employable skills can increase
their chances of an easier and successful transition. With
a re-arrest rate of 60 to 75% within two years and the burdening
cost to society, the push to educate the prisoners and help
with their integration back into the community is more important
than ever.
Our intensive pre-release program is well designed to provide
useful culinary skills to offenders to help them successfully
return to their communities, with the real possibility of
securing meaningful employment in a food establishment such
as: Restaurants, hotels, diners, food processors, hospitals
and other food related services.
We also offer the course to prisoners not on a pre-release
program - giving them training and skills to be able to cook
in the prisons and function positively within a team setting.
The program not only teaches the participants culinary skills
but also teaches them life skills such as working successfully
within a group, discipline and structure. They are taught
about menu planning, ordering and food budgets for commercial
food establishments and also on a social and personal level
this will enable them to shop wisely on a budget and cook
good, nutritious meals for themselves and their family.
As part of the program we help to find potential job placements
for the pre-release participants within their communities
thanks to our extensive data-base and association with many
food establishments in each area.
We also increase community consciousness and acceptability
through radio interviews and TV appearances to bring awareness
to the program and the need for businesses in each community
to participate. We also see an opportunity for Fabulous Food
Creations to employ parolees to work within our company.
As part of the 16-week program the participants are taught:
- · Menu planning
- · Food budgets and ordering
- · Nutrition
- · Proper kitchen protocol in a controlled commercial
kitchen environment
- · The importance of working as part of a team
- · Dressing for work
- · Dealing with work stress
- · Applying for a job and attending a job interview
- · Recipe development
We have highly qualified cooking instructors in all areas
in each state across the country. The program we offer is
structured, dynamic, useful and cost effective. The participants
learn commercial cookery and food skills in a controlled,
team- oriented environment. Structure is the foundation of
a meaningful, constructive and satisfactory life. The program
has a therapeutic integrity and is delivered according to
a specific plan and design with frequent and quality interaction
with participants. We believe this is essential for effective
treatment and learning, giving the students a positive focus
and an immediate sense of accomplishment.
Learning culinary arts, IE: learning proper cooking skills,
opens many doors to people - regardless of their backgrounds.
Not only is there the obvious choices such as restaurants,
hotels, hospitals, catering companies and other food establishments
but there is also the publishing industry – magazines
and cookbooks; the television industry; being a personal chef;
being the cook on guided tours such as wilderness tours; working
for yourself. There are many options for people to choose
to pursue a career within the food industry.
COSTING
Food costs are not included in the cost of the program but
will be estimated in the budgetary quote. Food orders are
faxed or emailed to each prison kitchen coordinator a week
prior to the next lesson along with an equipment list. Recipes
and theory notes are given the participants at the end of
each lesson for the following week.
Lesson times are organized accommodate when the kitchen is
not in use. Group sizes will vary according to the needs and
size of each facility.
We will meet with you in advance to discuss the program and
budgets. And we are able to adjust the program to fit within
each facilities budget where necessary. The program fee is
due at the onset of the program.
THE FOOD SERVICE INDUSTRY
The food service industry, which includes food processors,
is one of the largest employers in the United States. The
US department of labor reports that the prospects for work
in the food service industry is growing rapidly and there
are many opportunities for growth in this vibrant and growing
market. There are over 1 million food service outlets employing
approximately 14 million people. With the recent economic
downturn the food service industry continues on a steady growth.
DURATION OF PROGRAM AND VALIDATION OF STUDIES
The course offered is 16 weeks long: One weekly 4 hour lesson
- 3 hours of practical and 1 hour of theory.
At the end of the course, each participant receives an official
validation from Fabulous Food Creations confirming their successful
completion of their studies along with a certificate for them
to show potential employers.
OBJECTIVES AND GOALS
- · To teach a new skill set to better assist in
job placement upon release from correctional facility.
· Teach participants how important it is to work
in a group with a positive focus.
· Bolster self-esteem among participants.
· Learn about prep and cooking in a commercial kitchen.
· To help prevent recidivism.
· Learn discipline and structure needed to work in
a commercial environment.
· To teach basic life skills.
· To teach responsibility and structure.
· To encourage and give positive reinforcement.
BENEFITS
- · Increased self-esteem.
· Increased employment possibilities.
· The program is operated in a controlled commercial
kitchen environment.
· No previous education or pre-requisite is required
to partake in the culinary program.
· Increasing education proficiency has shown promise
as one successful strategy for assisting inmates in finding
gainful employment after their release and ending their
involvement with the criminal justice system.
· Being part of a team to create a meaningful end
product – such as a great meal.
· No additional or special equipment is needed to
allow the program to run as prisons are already equipped
with kitchen facilities.
· Increase level of responsibility in a positive
direction.
· Cooking can offer an immediate sense of accomplishment
this can lead to empowerment and a boost in self-esteem.
· Enhanced employability prospects after release.
The voting public support re-entry programs
- 87% of the voting public is in favor of rehabilitation
services for prisoners as opposed to punishment only system.
82% of voters felt lack of job skills and training to be
a significant barrier for released prisoners.
98% of people thought job training in prison and out to
be hugely beneficial.
78% of people were in support of federal dollars to prisoner
re-entry schemes.
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