Yesterday morning Governor Kim Reynolds was at the State Prison for Women in Mitchellville meeting with a small group of business owners. The meeting marked the beginning of an effort to boost the job prospects for inmates being released from prison.

The Governor says Iowa’s businesses may not be aware of the education and training programs underway inside Iowa’s prison system.

As an example, Reynolds mentioned some inmates at the Newton Correctional Facility are learning construction skills by building homes that are trucked off of prison grounds and placed in communities with housing needs. Yesterday’s meeting was the first of several being planned at other prison facilities across the state. Since Reynolds was elected to a full term as governor a year ago, she has focused on what she calls a “second chance” agenda.  Just last week she appointed a task force to come up with more criminal justice reform proposals.