Hoosier inmates attend virtual job fair to find work upon release

Inmates from around Indiana, including facilities in Westville and Wabash, participated in a virtual job fair on Wednesday. It’s believed to be the first of its kind in the country.

Six Hoosier employers took part in the event, in a partnership with the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.

The job fair was designed to help the 132 inmates who participated look into job openings in areas such as warehousing, machining, landscaping and production.

Up to 20,000 ex-offenders are released from prison each year in Indiana, and statistics show that the ones who remain unemployed for three years after their release have a return rate of up to 60 percent.