restaurant is open to Department of Corrections staff and the public
Tuesday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.), there is
much to do. That pork loin, now fully prepared, receives almost sur-
gical attention. Vegetables are cut and boiled, while an industrial-
sized pot of rich corn chowder bubbles
quietly away in a corner.
But who are the prisoners who are
preparing this feast? In a sun-lit corner
of the café, my hosts introduce me to
two inmates in the prison pre-release
program who work in the restaurant.
Both are intent on accruing "good
time" while developing the work skills
that will convince a parole board to
shorten their sentences. And with a
demonstrable, readily marketed voca-
tion, the prospect of transitioning into the outside world through
employment in the restaurant profession becomes a real one.
My first chat is with Chris (not his real name), a former motor-
cycle gang member, 8th grade dropout, and self-described "pretty
28
★
north bridge magazine
★
S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 5
"With a
cooking job
here I have
some hopes."
– PAUL M.