For Melvin, who was 18 years old when he was incarcerated and 49 years old when he was released, an entirely new world awaited him, one that was as fascinating to him as it was frustrating and challenging. His brother gave him a laptop and mobile phone to celebrate his release, which, while very appreciated and welcomed, not to mention much needed for Melvin, would also be technology that was light years away from what he knew at 18. Melvin, (who goes by “Mel” these days), had always been industrious and curious, even as a child, and this carried through during his time in prison too, so he wasn’t intimidated by this new-to-him technology for long.
Mel spent a majority of his 31 years in prison trying to pick up as much work skills, training and programming to fill his toolbox and pave a way to what he might think of doing if he ever got released. But from the get-go, Mel experienced barriers that made him re-think and re-strategize which way he’ll go next.
“Since I was so young and LWOP [Life Without Parole], I was considered a flight risk and given less choices for programming,” said Mel. One of the first things he tried for instance, was to get an Associates (AA) degree but funding got cut off and the program went away. As he navigated through this heavily restrictive environment, he found himself gravitating towards CI (Correctional Industries).
Mel started at the License Plate (LP) Shop working with the blanking die and embosser. “This was back in the 90s,” Mel recalled proudly, and surprisingly, fondly. Working at the LP, he found that he really liked working with the machines. Because he was working with the machines daily, Mel picked up specific knowledge on its idiosyncratic tendencies, understanding it’s every detail and functioning.
“Mechanically, there was a lot of things that only I knew,” said Mel. “If something broke down, I had to figure it out. There was a mechanic, but just in case they weren’t available, I needed to get it done to get the work done.” Mel credits his ability to trouble shoot and solve problems as one of the most important aptitudes he learned while working at the LP shop.
Another aspect of working at the LP shop which made it actually enjoyable at times for Mel was the coordination among everyone working there. “Skills wise you needed dexterity for the machinery but to get the job done it also requires collaboration among the other workers too,” said Mel. While recalling his time working at the shop, Mel shared some fond memories. “We would have races to finish making the quota for the day,” said Mel. At one point, Mel was able to cut the time down to a mere 3 minutes using the embosser, which for a cumbersome and clumsy mechanical machine not changed since its first usage in the 1950s, was a nearly miraculous task.
Working at the LP shop started an in-prison employment journey for Mel that would ultimately sharpen his skills and inform him of what he is good at and what he likes to do. “In every CI operation, I learned something,” said Mel. He went from WSP (Washington State Penitentiary) to CBCC (Clallam Bay Corrections Center) early in his incarceration, and at CBCC, got a clerk job in the gym, which, while not a CI job as laundry operations were the only CI operations there and CI had no openings at that time for job, it was the only one he could get. Again, Mel leaned on wanting to work rather than to sit around. It wasn’t the type of job Mel usually tended to apply for, where there were mechanical aspects to the work tasks, but he did learn to type, which would come in handy later.
After a short stint at CBCC, Mel was then moved back to WSP where he worked briefly at the metal plant at WSP, and got to work on upholstery, sewing, fabricating metals and welding. After a little while there, he was then moved to Airway Heights Corrections Center (AHCC), where he applied for, and got a job at the CI’s Optical Lab at AHCC where he worked for four years. “I loved it,” said Mel. He dove deep into the work, getting to know the mechanics of it all, and became so proficient and skilled at it that he became a lead at the lab.
“I was given all the specialty jobs. The ones that came with challenges like figuring out refractions + or – lenticulars. So lenticulars for babies, for example,” said Mel. “It was a lot of problem solving on late orders too.” He enjoyed optical work so much that one of the first jobs he applied for when he was released was for an optical place in Tacoma.
“I was offered a job but didn’t have transportation at the time so I had to turn them down,” said Mel. Due to procedural limitations set on consecutive time worked at CI, Mel had to switch gears and jobs while at AHCC and pivoted towards working as a clerk for the gym through DOC Class III work. But, as Mel was inclined to do, he gave it his all and earned an MS Office proficiency certificate.
After working as a clerk at the AHCC gym for a period of time, Mel then requested to work at CI’s Furniture Factory in Stafford Creek Corrections Center in Aberdeen, where he was able to secure a job there. Having built a full resume of work experience and history by then, Mel fully realized that he had an aptitude for working with mechanical items and really liked the challenges of figuring out how things worked. It led to him looking at his life with deeper introspection. It was during this time that Mel became more family focused, in particular with his father, as the closeness he shared with his brother never dissipated, even during his incarceration. His father was a mechanic and owned his own shop. Between his experience working while in prison, mainly for CI and its various shops, and the realizations of all that that he came to know from those experiences, Mel came to believe strongly that this was because of his father. It was a reflection that brought comfort for him. “Skills are passed down genetically,” said Mel, who did some research on this topic when he released that reinforced his belief.
Five years before his release, Mel was transferred to Washington Corrections Center in Shelton, where he, as typical to his work ethic and mindset, had worked for a chunk of CI’s operations. From Food Services to Warehouse, to Property Bag production and being a Clerk, Mel picked up even more skills that would ultimately reinforce his employment ready toolbox. “As a clerk, I learned to hone my skills in organization and coordination through logistics work,” said Mel. “As lead on Property Bag production my sewing skills came into play, and again there was coordination, organization and processing that I was able to strengthen my skills in.” Mel also took the Makin’ It Work, cognitive/soft skills training that CI provides to enhance the technical skills that their workers gain.
When Mel was released, the world was going through and getting over COVID, so he relied heavily on his family to help him during his transition back to the community. Besides the laptop and cell phone his brother gave him upon his release, his brother also was instrumental in helping Mel get a driver’s license and his social security card. Due to the timing of his release, immediate post release employment for Mel was a non-starter. Other than the one interview he had with the optical shop in Tacoma, there was understandably a dry well of jobs to be had, so Mel decided to turn to academics.
Mel lived with his father when he first released, so the nearby Olympic College (OC) was where he ended up attending full-time. “I didn’t have expenses since I was living with my dad, so I was able to save my Financial aid reward money that was left over after paying tuition, “ Mel said. Also during his time studying at OC, the Basic Food Employment and Training (BFET) program offered Mel a part-time job as Office assistant at the Multicultural Center. Within a year of working at the Multicultural Center, he was offered a full-time position as the Program Coordinator for the Multicultural Center. Mel earned an Associates in Business Management at OC, and then a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Science – OLTM Organized Leadership and Behavioral Management in 2024.
By 2023, Mel had secured a job working for IATSE, a sports entertainment union, on their utility crew and earning a high wage with good benefits. The utility crew does all the lighting, sound and mechanical behind-the-scenes work for big and hugely attended live events, from Seahawks games to big-name musical acts’ concerts.
Sadly, Mel’s father would not get to see his son secure that well-paying job or receive his bachelor's degree. Mel’s father passed away in 2022 from COVID and left Mel his house. “I was glad to have spent two years with him, but I wished it was more…I missed so many years being with him,” Mel said. “I would give back the house if I could have my father back.”
“Family is super important,” said Mel. “I feel like they are my keys to success. Good, strong family relationships,” said Mel. With his inheriting the house, Mel has, in his typical fashion, put a lot of work personally into it. He learned electrical work, and, through the help of YouTube, was self-taught on the house’s plumbing, drywall, and other needs, to make it truly a labor of love. Mel’s eventual goal is to fix the upper house, which has three bedrooms, and then move into a studio with a garage for himself.
A point of pride he had working for IATSE, was helping new co-workers fill out their time cards via the three different apps required to do it. Since there were no instructional or technical support to help with it, as Mel found when he was navigating through it himself to his frustration, he took it as a problem-solving exercise and worked through it on his own. He eventually figured it out and shared his knowledge with those who, in theory, should have been more familiar with the technology than he was, a fact which he takes great delight in.
Outside of working at IATSE and his house, Mel is trying to get three patents and has one patent pending on artistic designs for home decor that are culturally inspired. Mel’s success and tenacity to keep learning and accomplish things on his own, especially in the workplace, he can trace confidently back to CI on-the-job and social skills training and employment in prison.
