Imagine Mark Zuckerberg walking into San Quentin and hiring one of the inmates to run one of the most important aspects of his company. It happened and happens over and over with other silicon valley giants looking to San Quentin and other correctional institutions for new high tech talent. Beverly Parenti is the cofounder of The Last Mile, a program she and her husband started at San Quentin to train inmates in business, coding and other high tech skills. The program has spread to other institutions and the families impacted by The Last Mile now reach across the country.
Hello Ms. Mendonsa, My name is Vacellia Clark and I work for the City of Urbana Illinois as the Community Relations Director. I am very interested in starting a coding bootcamp program like yours as a second chance program for individuals finding it difficult to find meaningful employment here in our community. This program would be designed for non-incarcerated adults. Is there anyone associated with your program that could offer me insight on all the resources necessary to launch a successful program. Any guidance would be most appreciated.
I can be contacted via email or phone Monday – Thursday 9am -2pm CST. Thank you in advance for any support you can provide me in this endeavor.