By Trina A. San Agustin
Variety News Staff

THE Department of Corrections and the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation recently signed a memorandum of understanding that would assist inmates with a disability.
The program is under the umbrella of the Department of Integrated Services for Individuals with Disabilities, according to Corrections director Robert Camacho.
“It is a collaborative effort between us and DVR. What DVR personnel would do is asses inmates inside the prison and provide services for re-integration,” Camacho said.
He added, “We established an understanding that DVR personnel will go to the prison facility and conduct assessments. If inmates qualify, then DVR will help them develop job skills and find them some work when they get out of prison.”
The first phase, according to Camacho, would be for DVR personnel to visit these inmates and find out if they may have any kind of disability to qualify them for the program. The first phase is scheduled to begin next month.
“The assessment phase will (determine) who the clients are. They have to have some kind of disability—whether it is a learning, mental, or a physical disability. We need to interview potential clients,” he said.
The second phase would begin on March 1 and would allow DVR personnel to have one-on- one interview with the established clients and share with them their reintroduction to life outside of prison.
“It is something that we really need. They are already at a disadvantage having a criminal background and if you tie in any disability, it adds on to the difficulty of going out into the community and trying to lead a productive life,” Camacho told Variety.
DVR will work with the clients 90 days prior to their expected release from the custody of the Department of Corrections.
“It will also help us in keeping them out of prison,” Camacho added.