The Kane County Sheriff’s Office is set to launch “Kane County Sheriff’s University,” which will offer ongoing work training and substance addiction counseling for inmates as well as certified forklift training to the general public.
The University will be operated in partnership with Talented Tenth Social Services at 205 N. Lake Street, Suite 103, Aurora.
Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain said the Sheriff’s University is the next step in a series of programs initiated over the past year that aim to use job training and substance abuse counseling as methods to stop the cycle of crime to imprisonment and back to crime.
“These critical support systems provided by a public safety agency are essential to reducing stigma and building true police-community relations,” he said in a news release.
The Kane County Sheriff’s Office presently provides forklift certification, OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 classes for detainees to help them receive jobs once they are released.
In August 2020, the Sheriff’s Office opened forklift training classes to all residents of Kane County, helping job seekers to get trained and find employment.
In the fourth quarter 2020, the Sheriff’s Office launched the Free Job and Community Resource Board. The job board helps all citizens of Kane County find background friendly jobs and connect them with resources to help with barriers to employment.
“These two community-based initiatives have linked hundreds of people to opportunities they never knew existed,” Hain said.
Hain said having a brick-and-mortar location will help continue services on a consistent basis. It will also serve as a group addiction counseling location for those re-entering the community from custody.
For more information on Kane County Sheriff’s University and general support services provide by the Sheriff’s Office, contact Judy Dawson at dawsonjudith@countyofkane.org.
—Kane County Connects