I had the honor of working at the Santa Barbara County Jail from 2007 to 2009 as a culinary arts instructor and a Servsafe Instructor through SBCC Adult Ed.
During this time I was able to observe closely a very challenged population, struggling to overcome addictions, unhealthy behavioral patterns, and a yearning to experience relief and change. I viewed this environment as a rich opportunity to promote reflection, connection, and more important a sense of responsibility in how they affect their internal and external environment through the choices and actions they take.
Through a simple act such as chopping, I was able to observe how most of the population was challenged with attention deficit disorder and lack of basic awareness skills, often making it hard for them to follow instructions. It was after an inmate chopped his finger with a prepping machine due to his lack of focus that I marched to Sheriff Bill Brown's office for advice on how to solve this problem.