South Placer County Jail Culinary Arts Program teaches a lot more than cooking skills
FOX40 News
[{'start': '2.235', 'end': '7.173', 'text': "SMITH REPORTS ON A NEW PROGRAM   OUT A ROSEVILLE TONIGHT. THE   SOUTH PLACER COUNTY CULINARY   ARTS PROGRAM HAS BEEN   INSTRUCTING MINIMUM SECURITY   INMATES SINCE 2020.   >> BUT IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT   COOKING SKILLS. THESE INMATES   ARE ALSO LEARNING LIFE SKILLS.   WHEN YOU WALK INTO JAIL, YOU   DON'T EXPECT TO SMELL THIS. A   HOMEMADE FOOD COMING FROM THE   HARD WORK OF INMATES LIKE   JUSTIN CASTLEMAN, A RECENT   GRADUATE OF THE CULINARY   COURSE. WHY SEEMS IT'S BEEN   IT'S BEEN A GREAT. AND SO I   KNOW THAT I'M NOT GONNA COME   BACK, YOU KNOW, MEANS   ROCKLAND. POLICE FOUND   EVIDENCE OF SEVERAL ILLEGAL   ITEMS INCLUDING IDENTITY THEFT   AND CASTLE MAN'S VEHICLE WHILE   ON PROBATION. HE SINCE SPENT   THE PAST FEW MONTHS   INCARCERATED DEDICATING HIS   TIME TO TURNING HIS LIFE   AROUND.   >> AND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF   SEVERAL SCHOOLING WORKSHOPS   AND CLASSES LIKE THIS.   CULINARY PROGRAM 42 YEARS OLD   AND   >> DAYS NOTES WHERE OF I JUST   WANTED EVERYONE TO COME BACK.   >> AND CHEF DANIEL HERNANDEZ   LEADS THE COURSE AND SAYS   SEVERAL GRADUATES HAVE GONE ON   TO GAIN EMPLOYMENT AT LOCAL   RESTAURANTS UPON THEIR   RELEASE. THE INMATES THAT WE   HAVE NEVER HAD OPPORTUNITY   LIKE THIS. THEY'VE NEVER HAD   SOMEONE TO COME ALONGSIDE THEM   AND MENTOR THEM, SHOW THEM NEW   SKILLS KURDS THEM IN LIFE. ANG   SAID SAW A GUARD AT SOUTH   PLACER COUNTY JAIL WHO HELPED   KICK START THE 2 WEEK PROGRAM   TEACHES YOU DISCIPLINE A UP ON   TIME. IT TAKES TO BE READY FOR   THE ENVIRONMENT, RIGHT? THAT'S   SOMETHING THAT THEY NEVER HAD.   THERE'S BEEN 14 GRADUATING   CLASSES ALTERNATING BETWEEN   MALE AND FEMALE INMATES. THEY   COME IN FOR 3 TO 4 HOURS A DAY   AND WE FOCUS ON DIFFERENT   CORNERS, STILLS, CULINARY   TECHNIQUES AND ALSO TEAM AND   INTERVIEW PROBLEM OR WHEN   THEY'RE RELEASED. THEY'RE   COOKING AT LEAST 30,000 MEALS   PER WEEK IN OVER 1.2 MILLION   PER YEAR. WE'RE COOKING MEALS   DIFFERENT COUNTIES LIKE   >> AMADOR DIFFERENT JAILS ARE   SECONDS. YEAH. WHICH IS SOUTH   PLACER. WE'RE COOKING FOR   SENIORS FIRST AS WELL.   >> 5 LUCKY INMATES EQUALLY   HUNGRY TO LEARN COOKING SKILLS   AS THEY ARE LIFE SKILLS. WELL,   NOT ONLY GET A JOB   RECOMMENDATION, BUT A CHANCE   TO BE RELEASED EARLY PRISONERS   LIKE CASTLEMAN MAY HAVE   LEARNED NEW IMPRESSIVE COOKING   TECHNIQUES. BUT MORE   IMPORTANTLY TASTED THE SWEET   HOPE OF A NEW AND BETTER LIFE.   I GET EMOTIONAL BECAUSE LIKE   >> DON'T WANT TO COME BACK IN   THEM. IT'S A IT'S IT'S IT'S   REALLY MAKES ME HAPPY THAT I'M   GOING GET A LOT OF SNOW FELL.   >> CASTLEMAN IS AT THE TAIL   END OF THE SENTENCE AND IS   HOPING TO HAVE A COOKING JOB   LINED UP UPON HIS RELEASE.   REPORTING AT SOUTH PLACER"}]