Southern KY Chamber of Commerce welcomes Team Kentucky

Robert Halcomb, The Times-Tribune, Corbin, Ky.
·2 min read

May 17—WILLIAMSBURG — At Tuesday's regular Southern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce meeting, members of the chamber welcomed Aaron Poynter of Team Kentucky for a presentation on "Bridging the Workforce Gap."

The meeting was held at the Williamsburg Tourism and Convention Center.

Poynter is the director for the state's Reentry and Employment services branch, which primarily seeks to aid those who have been incarcerated find meaningful employment and prevent them from re-offending.

Recently, Poynter's program has come to Whitley County, denoting what he deemed to be the "first step" in developing lasting relationships with local government and employers.

The program seeks to provide recently released individuals with an opportunity to work a meaningful job that will allow them to refrain from the type of activity that led them astray.

Poynter said, "95% of people in jail will be released at some point. In April, there were 181 incarcerated individuals released from custody in Whitley County. These people are in the community looking for work and housing.

"We want these individuals to have the opportunity to work toward a better future...to have a real chance at changing the trajectory of their lives," Poynter continued. "To do that, we need a collaborative effort from the community," he continued.

Another point of emphasis for Poynter's presentation was the eliminating the tax burden that high levels of incarceration and re-offense bring to the community.

Poynter said, "Housing someone (in the jail) is expensive. Just ask your local officials."

It is Poynter's belief that if released individuals have a job which allows them to circumvent the throes of poverty, then they are far less likely to re-offend.

He said, "In 6 different (programs across the state), we have had only 2 individuals re-offend after being placed in a job...this is not just a theory; it is reality and my own personal experience that we help people to not re-offend."

In addition to partnering with local employers, Poynter also emphasized educating and training the incarcerated while they are still in jail, which would aid them in finding a job immediately after their release.

In other news, the Southern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce also honored Tim Jones of Jones Lawn Care in Corbin.

Jones Lawn Care is located at 1207 7th Street in Corbin.