LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — This is where Chris Courtney feels he was always meant to be.
At 50 years old, he's a handler at Wainui Farm.
"They're paying me to be here right now. That's lucky man, you know what I'm saying? That's a good job," said Courtney.
Courtney grew up around horses because his father was a jockey. At 15 years old, his life took a turn when he ended up in prison on drug charges.
When he left prison he was told no. "They turned me away because of my record, you know? But thank God these people gave me a shot."
At Blackburn Correctional Complex, a program gives inmates hands-on experience in the equine industry.
Every year in Kentucky, 300,000 people are released from jail yet a third of those reoffend.
Laurie Mays understood employment is a key to reducing recidivism and by utilizing Talent Pipeline Management tools, she identified the equine indsutry's pain points and uncovered a key source of talent that had yet to be tapped into: formerly incarcerated individuals.
Mays’ starting point for building a talent pipeline was the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation’s (TRF) Second Chances program at the Blackburn Correctional Complex.
Blackburn inmates in the program work for eight months on TRF’s farm, managing more than 50 retired racehorses and taking courses on equine anatomy and physiology, basic nutrition, and first aid.
"They want to be a benefit to society, they want to be helpful to the community in which they live, and they want to have a purpose. And I think they're finding that in these positions," said Mays, equine and agriculture talent pipeline project manager at the Kentucky Chamber Foundation Workforce Center.
At the end of 2019, Mays started helping program graduates find jobs in the industry.
Since the partnership was established, nearly 70 Blackburn TRF graduates have been hired by the equine industry.
After finding a job at Wainui Farm, Courtney is finding his purpose and he's grateful for a second chance to do what he loves.
"I feel free baby, free, free. Yeah, aint' nothing like it."
Mays tells us since the pipeline was established that no participant has ended up back in prison.
More projects are also in the works, including a sober living facility for graduates of Blackburn's program.
For more information on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Talent Pipeline Management resources, please visit here.
