VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Inmates nearing the end of their sentence will get help finding employment at the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office (VBSO) inmate job fair on Tuesday, Oct. 7, from 9 a.m. to noon. The event will feature resources and local employers willing to give offenders a second chance.
The inmate job fair – the third held at the Virginia Beach Correctional Center since September 2023 – will take place in the jail’s indoor Recreation Yard located at 2501 James Madison Blvd. It will be hosted by Sheriff Rocky Holcomb, the VBSO Inmate Reintegration and Modified Incarceration Programs, and City of Virginia Beach Adult Correctional Services.
Inmates who have release dates within 90 days of Oct. 7 are eligible to attend the job fair, which will provide information and contacts to assist with finding work post-incarceration. There will be at least 17 employers, organizations and career specialists on-site, including from Traffix, Ellen’s Homestyle BBQ, Happy Café, the Tidewater Community College Welding Program, Recovery for Life, Virginia Wesleyan University, and Virginia Beach Probation and Parole.
Employment is critical to offenders’ successful reintegration into society. Studies show that former inmates who maintain a job for one year post-release have a recidivism rate of just 16% compared with 52% for those who are unable to maintain employment (Source: U.S. Chamber of Commerce). However, lack of employment opportunities is a significant barrier, and unemployment averages about 30% for adults with criminal records.
Holcomb and the VBSO have been working to address this issue at the Virginia Beach Correctional Center through job fairs, the GED program, vocational training, and the Reentry Program, which includes classes in resume-writing and job interview techniques.
“If we want offenders to become productive, law-abiding members of society after their release from jail, we must provide them with tools and opportunities to be successful. Employment is a critical component of that rehabilitation,” said Holcomb. “This job fair will give inmates preparing to go home a head start finding work so that they can support themselves and their families, giving them hope for a better life. This will also make our community safer by reducing their chance of re-offending.”
Employers interested in participating in the job fair should email vbsoinmateprograms@vbgov.com or call 757-385-4001.
Members of the news media interested in covering this event should contact VBSO Public Information Officer Toni Guagenti at tguagenti@vbso.net or 757-385-8446 no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 6, to arrange access.