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ASTEP, which is the Sheriff’s Training Employment Program, began in 1999 as part of the Detention Services Division. A-Step
provides a partnership with the community and the Sheriff's Office with the goal of providing inmates with real life job experience,
education, and therapy. Drug, alcohol, domestic violence, and GED classes are offered to all ASTEP inmates.
ASTEP works with inmates to develop a good work ethic, the ability to be a good team member and an enhanced feeling of self
worth. The goal is to return participants back to society as productive citizens and employees. All funds derived from ASTEP
are kept within the program with a goal of keeping it self-sustaining. ASTEP is carefully designed to provide only services
to members of our business community, and not to become a competitor in any way. Both male and female inmates participate
in this program and are interviewed for placement into ASTEP once they are sentenced.
ASTEP inmates earn monthly paychecks to help pay restitution, court costs, or to send money home to their families. Some inmates
are paid by the hour and some are paid by piecework, depending on their job assignment.
The quality and consistency of the program is an extremely high priority and is very important in the relationship that we
have developed with our companies. ASTEP has been modeled by other facilities across the country and has gained national recognition
by the National Correctional Industries Association. For more information, call 720-874-3320 or 720-874-3317.
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