The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC) has opened a new optical laboratory at the State Correctional Institution at Chester (SCI Chester). The lab expands a vocational program designed to provide incarcerated individuals with optician training and prepare them for employment after release.
The Pennsylvania Correctional Industries (PCI) optical lab opened with 10 incarcerated workers and plans to expand its staff to 16. Each worker completed a training course to earn an optician certificate before interviewing with the lab foreman for a position.
Building Optical Skills
The SCI Chester lab will serve as a finishing facility for glasses started at SCI Cambridge Springs, where PCI has operated a similar optical training program and laboratory since 1999.
Workers at SCI Chester will gain hands-on experience with optical lens edgers, tinting equipment, lens-verification devices, and frame warmers used to adjust and fit eyeglass frames.
“Securing a steady, well-paying job is an important part of successful reentry to the community after incarceration,” says Pennsylvania DOC Secretary Dr. Laurel Harry. “The Pennsylvania Correctional Industries optical labs not only provide their workers with training and an in-demand certification, they also offer the opportunity to fine tune soft skills like interviewing for a job, meeting deadlines and quotas, and working as part of a team.”
In addition to earning their optician certificate at SCI Chester, PCI Director Anne Saint, PhD says workers will have the opportunity to pursue additional certification through the American Board of Opticianry. “Credentials like this help make PCI workers attractive candidates to employers in Pennsylvania and beyond,” she says.
Providing for Those in Need
The lab will support the local Lions Club by processing donated eyeglasses for distribution to people in need. The SCI Cambridge Springs optical lab has donated 10,000 pairs of glasses to date. SCI Chester also plans to establish a donation box for used eyewear.
According to PCI, expanding the optical program will also help the bureau continue to provide eyeglasses for Pennsylvania’s incarcerated population as well as state hospitals and nonprofit organizations.