First welding certificates awarded to RISE participants

The Socorro County Detention RISE (Reach, Intervention, Support and Engage) Program reached a new milestone in its efforts to pave the way for inmate rehabilitation. Last week, three RISE participants earned welding certifications for the first time since the program’s inception.

“The smiles on their faces when they got certified and just the excitement, they almost have had a little bit of a brotherhood…They were excited for each other, and they were encouraging each other,” Kenny Gonzales, welding instructor, said.

Danny Pacheco earned certifications in dual shield flux core arc welding (FCAW) and 1G (flat) and 3G (vertical) welding positions. Ozzy Corral earned certifications in dual shield FCAW 3G and 4G (vertical and overhead) welding positions. Reynaldo Ortega earned four certifications, including dual shield FCAW and shielded metal arc welding (SMAW or stick welding), with 3G and 4G certifications.

“You know, when this first came about, I was a little nervous because being a retired law enforcement officer and seeing the names that I saw. I’ve arrested these people. How are they going to react to me?” Gonzales said “And they actually came in with the utmost respect,”

Gonzales said he is proud of them, especially considering Pacheco and Corral were released from jail and continued to show up and complete the program. The certification holds particular significance for Ortega, who has always dreamed of becoming certified.

Gonzales hopes the sense of accomplishment will help them remain drug-free and provide opportunities to become productive citizens.

Gonzales stated that the certifications are issued by a certified welding inspector. Typically, these certifications cost around $400 each, but the program offers them for free. While they enhance a resume, the opportunity to connect with others in the community is invaluable for future success.

Five New Mexico Tech students also earned certifications alongside the RISE participants. Eddie Garcia, Socorro County Detention Warden, thanked the NMT students for welcoming the RISE participants into their classroom.

“It means a lot to me, and it shows you those students have some big hearts, and they see the vision,” Garcia said.

Gonzales believes classroom sharing is a huge advantage for the RISE participants.

“When these tech students were all a semester away from becoming engineers, and they were able to connect,” Gonzales said “I told them, these are guys are probably going to be your bosses.”

Next semester, Gonzales is looking forward to having female RISE participants in his program and hopes to expand the program beyond welding.

In partnership with the county, Socorro School district and New Mexico Tech, he aims offer electrical, plumbing, and fiber optics courses to meet community needs.

“We’re really looking right now at a fiber optic class, because VLA (Very Large Array) is getting ready to do their full expansion, and they’re going to run 10,000 miles of fiber optics, and they need people,” Gonzales said.

RISE is a jail-based community alternatives program in its four year that is made available to inmates who show good behavior and meet the program’s standards. Participants are visible in the community often cleaning up cemeteries all over the county, growing vegetables for the county fair’s salsa competition, beautifying the city with art and even filling up sandbags to help communities in flooding zones.

Those in attendance at the ceremony included County Manager Andy Lotrich, RISE navigator Vanessa Garcia, Dean at NMT Steve Simpson, Socorro School District President Dave Hicks, Socorro High Vice Principal Joni Mauldin, and members from the drug court.