Reaching HIRE
Reaching ‘HIRE,’ Moving Forward
INDOT highway tech driven to succeed in career, life
No matter what the day brings, the words and advice of Jamarlon “Jay” King’s parents and grandmother continue to guide and inspire him.
The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) highway technician has experienced hardship and hopelessness, unforeseen obstacles and even incarceration, but never hopelessness; and for that, he credits those who never stopped supporting him—those who always believed in him.
“As long as God puts breath in your body, he ain’t done with you,” Jay said his mother was fond of saying. “He will give you opportunities.”
It’s up to each individual to make the most of those opportunities, of course, and King is committed to doing just that. He knows he’s not alone on this journey and he hopes his recent success is just the beginning of better days.
No matter what the day brings, the words and advice of Jamarlon “Jay” King’s parents and grandmother continue to guide and inspire him.
A whole new world
After all, it was only a short time ago that Jay walked out of Edinburgh Correctional Facility a free man, though one without a home, a job, and little more than the clothes on his back.
“It was like being born at 44-years-old,”Jay told the Indiana Department of Correction’s (IDOC) Michael Martin Drain in a recent video interview highlighting King’s success, which has been achieved in part with the assistance of IDOC’s Hoosier Initiative for Re-Entry (HIRE) program. He was starting anew, beginning his life all over again.
King’s unshaken faith and belief in what he calls “The Man Upstairs” has helped him persevere through the most difficult of times, and he’s the first to say that he didn’t make it through any of that alone. Drain (the HIRE assistant regional director) and INDOT People Services Workforce Development Director David Dalton, among several others, were integral in helping Jay find a new role with INDOT.
King’s new work on the highways would include filling potholes and salting and clearing roads of snow. It bore little to no resemblance to his previous work in corporate human resources and was a daunting challenge.
Fortunately, Jay was up to it.
“In this life, you get out of it what you put into it,” he said. “After being released, I knew it would be a tough road (to say the least), but the good thing was I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. If re-inventing myself was what I needed to do to get back on my feet, I am not the first nor will I be the last.”
Drain and Dalton were optimistic that Jay’s drive to succeed would serve him well in his new position and they helped guide him along the way.
Michael said it was Jay who challenged him to help him find employment post-incarceration, and the then-HIRE coordinator worked with Jay to assess his job skills, career interests, and the potential barriers he might face.
“After his release I spoke to him about an opportunity to work with INDOT, who was one of our employment partners,” Drain said. “Mr. King was interested so we worked with David Dalton at INDOT to start the process. Mr. King worked through a few barriers, namely driver license fees and housing, but he was determined to get it right and I was motivated to make this placement happen.”
Dalton saw potential in Jay as well.
The INDOT Workforce Development director said King was referred to his agency through a new program called “Moving Forward with INDOT.” The program is a “talent pipeline” that helps “justice-involved citizens” transition back into the workforce, David explained. He connected Jay with a hiring manager and continued to monitor the new-hire’s progress after he secured the highway tech position.
“Once Jay was hired, I checked in periodically with him to ensure he was successfully transitioning into the role and to gather feedback for the HIRE team,” Dalton said. “In addition, our team of Greenfield District supervisors were essential in helping Jay transition into his role as a highway technician.”
King put all of himself into learning the ins and outs of his new job, relying on his faith and the guidance of his family to stay on track. His colleagues were supportive along the way, helping make the transition much easier than it might have been.
“I was blessed to have a foreman and crew leaders who cared, who wanted to see their employee’s progress,” King recalled. “So, I asked a lot of questions and learned as much as I could every day. I’m sure that I caused more stress than necessary, but they were always patient and always willing to teach me.”
Moving forward
Getting where he is today was anything but easy. King described his job prospects as “bleak” following his release because of his status as an offender. He said there often is a “stigma” attached to those who have completed their sentences in correctional facilities and are attempting to re-enter society and the workforce.
“Our clients face barriers such a transportation, housing, and skills gaps,” noted Drain. “HIRE coordinators must face these barriers by connecting with community and city partners who help provide support to our clients. We at HIRE understand that we alone cannot be the sole answer; it’s the community that makes the difference for our returning citizens.”
After his release, Jay lived in his brother’s basement and walked three miles each day to catch a bus as he sought to find work. Thanks to HVAF of Indiana, Jay had a coat, clothing, and shoes—something for which to be grateful even as employment opportunities didn’t immediately pan out.
It’s a familiar story for David Dalton who noted that Moving Forward has thus far resulted in seven new INDOT employees.
“For the individuals, there is a stigma attached to having a criminal record and having to consistently demonstrate their change,” he said. This is in conjunction with not having a driver's license, which in many cases is one of the most significant barriers INDOT faces since we require it of all our HTs. On top of that, having reliable transportation, housing, food, and an environment that is conducive to transitioning back into society are all significant challenges. That's why having stable employment either pre-release or immediately upon release is critical. The recidivism rate is significantly lower for those that do.“
King, a lifelong Hoosier who hails from East Chicago, was never willing to give up. Again, it was his faith and the advice of his family that carried him forward. There is no quit in Jay King—something else he learned from his dad, a career army drill sergeant.
“I’ll never not see the determination in my father’s face,” Jay continued. “’Against all odds, failure is never an option,’ my father would say. Those words stay with me.”
With the backing of his co-workers and the wise words of his parents never far from his heart, Jay took on his new duties with a positive attitude.
“I put all of my strength, energy, and faith in the man above us, and simply asked Him to lay out a path that will be good for me,” said Jay. “Today, I walk that path, knowing it’s a good one (for me).”
Putting the work in
King’s hard work paid off in the form of a promotion and now his work is split about evenly among the roadwork he never imagined he’d be doing and the paperwork to which he’d been accustomed in the corporate world. An opening at INDOT’s Greenfield sub-district allowed Jay to temporarily assume the duties of that position. He excelled and eventually earned the title of Highway Technician-3.
“I typically start off my day in the office, running reports, checking work requests, and communicating those to management,” the highway tech said. “During the afternoons, I am usually investigating roadway deficiencies and prioritizing those.”
As Indiana moves past its always unpredictable winter season, Jay said he’s found some of his best times have taken place at work on the road, removing the snow.
“I must say, there is no feeling like being out there with the crews, when everyone is on the same page, same mission,” King said. “It’s quite beautiful to see so many different people serving the public. Putting all differences aside, we find our common ground and work toward the greater good of the people. That is what I love about INDOT.”
Jay said he hopes to continue serving the public in the future. He also wants to help build others up, in much the same way his colleagues and HIRE staff have done for him.
“Truth, I don’t know nearly as much about roadways and construction as most of my teammates, but I am willing to learn,” he said. “However, I do know a lot about building workforces and celebrating people (and the differences they bring). To serve the public has always been an aspiration of mine. I can’t envision more meaningful work. So, my hope is that I can take this opportunity and allow it to grow into a position where I can serve the people of my home state.”
Poetry in motion
Jay said he wants to be active in his community and has often dreamed of running for office. He never set out to inspire anyone with his story of redemption, but he said he hopes his experiences can help others in some way. A basketball fan who enjoys reading, writing, and studying poetry in his spare time, it’s perhaps fitting that Jay’s thoughts on helping others overcome adversity and re-take control of their lives itself sounds more than a little poetic.
“I am a humble person,” said Jay. “It was never my plan to have my life inspire anyone else. But I see now that I am not living my plan. So, if my story ever reaches someone who needs to hear it, I say this… there will be days and nights that are as dark as midnight, moments when giving up and quitting will seem more reasonable than trying to move forward. There will be times when even family, the people closest to you, will not hold you up like you need to be held. But know this: God never turns His back on you, no matter what you do. The strength inside of you is all the strength you need. When you are of clear mind and thought, listen to the guide within you. It cannot lead you wrong.”
Sometimes the difficult days exist to move us in another direction. As Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote in Ode to the West Wind, “O wind, if winter comes, can spring be far behind?”
It is spring now for Jay King, and hope springs eternal.
“On the days I wanted to give up, I got a call from you,” King told Drain in the video interview, adding that the HIRE assistant director’s belief in him “reignited that hope all over again.”
That’s the mission of Michael Martin Drain and others who are helping Hoosier women and men blaze new trails post-incarceration. It’s a second chance and a new hope for a better future.
“I am just honored that the state of Indiana saw fit to invest in a program that takes a progressive yet common sense approach to reentry,” said Drain. “I took this job understanding the challenges but I also recognized the great opportunity to impact incarcerated men and women from around the state. While I am excited about these successes, I know that there is more work to be done and the HIRE program, along with its coordinators and directors, are up for the challenge.”
Dalton was glad to be part of Jay’s success story as well.
“Speaking on behalf of our agency, we are grateful to have Jay as part of the team,” he said. “His resilience, positivity, and can-do attitude are an example for all of us to follow. He has been a great employee and is having an impact in his new role. For us, playing any part in his journey is uplifting and is one of the reasons why we started Moving Forward. We want to provide career pathways for individuals that just need the right opportunity to get back on their feet. Jay has paved the way for others and his success is already helping other referrals find a chance within our agency. We are excited to see what's in store next for Jay.”
Employed and now with a home to call his own, Jay King wants others to believe in themselves as much as the people who’ve helped him reach this point in his life believed in him. As his grandmother said, “life is about the journey, not the end.”
“I am because they were,” said Jay of his parents and his grandmother. “My inspiration lives within me because of them. They are my positive attitude toward tomorrow. Incarceration didn’t kill me. I’m still breathing.”
Story by Brent Brown, Indiana State Personnel Department