Vocational Training Partnerships
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Vocational Training Partnerships
As a part if the design of the V.R.I.C. Program, inmates are given an opportunity to develop specific vocational skills which can expand the horizons into future educational/employment. The Chicago Botanic Garden and the V.R.I.C. have partnered into establishing the V.R.I.C. Urban Farm project. This is an on-site training program in sustainable agriculture and work readiness where inmates learn organic growing techniques and garden construction. An estimated 12,000 pounds of produce will be harvested this year. An Aquaponics water filtration system has recently been constructed. This soilless growing environment is capable of producing 800 fish (tilapia) per year and 10,000 pounds of produce.
In addition to this the V.R.I.C. is also a partner with Chicagoland Prison Outreach in a program which trains inmates in carpentry skills in order to follow on to potential employment in the trades. The objective of this program is to actually build a shed structure which can then be donated to a charitable organization for their use, again this program is offered at no cost to the taxpayer. 
Finally the V.R.I.C. participates in the County’s environmental programs by doing the computer recycling for the Sheriff and other county agencies, this program cleans up the county’s e-waste as well as providing a marketable job skill for this developing industry, the county then sells the recycled parts and this provides an actual cost benefit for this service.