OLATHE, Kan. — An initiative at the Johnson County jail aims to break the cycle of poverty and help incarcerated people find success.
On Friday, a group of eight women will become the first female cohort from the jail to graduate from Connections to Success, a two-week class that provides tools and skills to help them make better decisions upon their release.
"We don't judge anybody that comes through the door," said Jennifer Johnson, the facilitator of the course. "That's not what we do. We just help them move forward."
Topics range from job-interview skills to how to manage personal and professional relationships. Throughout the course, students work through exercises to learn about themselves and their strengths. Johnson then helps them figure out how to translate those strengths into job skills, finding the best fit for each student.
"This program meets you where you are, uses what you have, your skills, your characteristics, helps you identify how [to] use all of those tools into your future," Johnson said.
One student, Micaela, said she hopes to use her creativity to become a teacher or an esthetician.
"I'm really excited to see what is in store for me," she said.
Another student, Barbara, said she hopes to get back into customer service.
"I have been very scared and thinking I couldn't get the job because of have a few convictions on my record," she said. "This has really taught me that I can overcome that."
In addition to learning skills, another part of class is the affirmations. Each student has to say three positive attributes about themselves.
"Your affirmation, it's that self-talk, it's that self-motivation," Johnson said. "It reminds you who you are intrinsically. It manifests the goodness in you, the power, the strength."
Ultimately, the goal is to help each student learn that they are more than their mistakes, so they can create a new cycle of success.
"There's a part of an African proverb that says when you educate a woman, you educate a nation, and that's what we're doing here," Johnson said.
Connections to Success has partnered with the Johnson County Sheriff's Office since 2019, starting with a men's class. However, operations were halted during the pandemic.
The program also offers classes to anyone who needs help reaching their personal or professional goals. More information is available on the Connections to Success website.
