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After 28 years in prison Candido Ortiz now owns El Sabor in Jersey City

After 28 years in prison Candido Ortiz now owns El Sabor, a restaurant, in Jersey City.

Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com

When a person with a criminal history applies for most jobs in New Jersey, there is a law in place that prevents employers from asking about their past – at least at first.

The Opportunity to Compete Act, signed by Gov. Chris Christie in 2014, prohibits such questioning during the initial application process, though the topic can be discussed early on for employment in certain fields, such as law enforcement, and after the first interview for others.

The intention is to start with a level playing field.

But not having to check the box announcing one’s criminal history on an application does not mean that getting a job – or keeping it – will be easy. There are other barriers, ranging from lack of education, homelessness and limited transportation options to substance abuse and the potential to reoffend, among many others. 

Enter Second Chance, a new nonprofit organization created with the hopes of providing previously incarcerated people with training and jobs in the hospitality industry. Its founders, a collection of Shore restaurateurs, chefs and a local resident, currently are raising money to fund culinary school classes for its first group of participants.

“We want to tell these people that we’re looking forward,” said co-founder Jim Flynn, who lives in Brielle. “Let’s start a new life.”

Flynn, the founder of Jersey Shore Restaurant Week, said the idea for the program came about last year while he and Terry Eleftheriou, chef and co-owner of Shipwreck Grille in Brielle, were discussing staffing difficulties in the restaurant industry. Eleftheriou mentioned looking to people who had been incarcerated.

They brought in Shore restaurateurs Joe Leone, chef and owner of Joe Leone’s Italian Specialties in Point Pleasant Beach and Joe Leone’s Gastronomia in Sea Girt; Marilyn Schlossbach, chef and owner of the Marilyn Schlossbach Group; and Chris Brandl, chef and owner of Brandl in Belmar.

“They’re all people who wanted to give back,” Flynn said. 

Getting Second Chance off the ground has taken time: finding reliable participants is not easy – organizers are working with the Monmouth County Probation Office to interview applicants – and restaurant owners’ attention has been on making it through a busy and challenging summer season.

But they are seeking applicants for Second Chance’s first class, which should begin in January.

The eight-week training program is open to previously incarcerated adults from across New Jersey, but they must be able to attend classes and work in Monmouth County. Those who are selected will complete their culinary training at a Monmouth County culinary school, during which time they will be given an entry-level part-time job – four hours per day, four days a week – in a local restaurant kitchen. They will be paid for their work and, upon graduation, begin a 90-day apprenticeship. 

“Part of rehabilitation is gaining self-respect,” Flynn said. “Maybe this well help to give them a leg up.”

The ultimate goal is an offer of full-time employment. Graduates, Flynn said, “will be qualified to be a prep cook, making an average of $15 per hour. This puts them on a path to (becoming a) line cook, with on-the-job training.”

The cost of the classes – around $4,500 per person – will be funded by an endowment created by Second Chance. Donations are welcome, said Flynn, who also plans to apply for state grants and connect with corporate donors.

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The goal is to put 100 people through the program each year, he said.

There are other job-training options in New Jersey, such as the statewide NJ Reentry Corporation led by former Gov. Jim McGreevey; the Culinary Skills Training Program at Fulfill Monmouth & Ocean; and The Culinary School at Eva’s Village in Paterson. But Second Chance is geared toward both previously incarcerated people and the hospitality industry. 

“The difference (is) that ours is for people who have been incarcerated, and we will place every graduate in a job at the Jersey Shore,” Flynn said.

The potential impact

Last year, William Berry of Asbury Park lost his accounting job, his family and his home after he was arrested on theft charges.

But for the past three months, he has spent 16 hours a week prepping food and assisting the head chef in one of city’s most popular restaurants, Langosta Lounge.

“I went from divorce to devastation to rebuilding myself and decided to pursue something I have a high interest in,” he said. “I’ve always had a passion for being in the kitchen. When I used to have a huge family, I used to cater all my parties. I would do all the cooking and all the preparations, and everyone enjoyed my food.”

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His employment was arranged through the New Jersey Courts’ job training program, and Berry, 49, likely will be among the first students in Second Chance’s first culinary education class. 

“I thought I wasn’t going anywhere anymore and should just give up, so to speak,” he said. “When you run into problems with the law, you have a history. Now, I’m able to to get past the past with a clean record and start a whole new second chance at life. I’m honored to be part of that.

“At some point, I hope to own my own kitchen,” he said. “I really want that.”

Schlossbach, owner of Langosta Lounge, praised Berry’s work ethic, motivation and patience in the kitchen.

“He’s a special person,” she said. 

Berry said he wants to share his story with others in his position, in hopes of encouraging them to also move forward with their lives. 

“That’s the other thing that’s giving me this boost of energy: to send that message to other people,” he said. “It’s something that I can give back to society.” 

A proven model

For guidance on making Second Chance a reality, Flynn and Leone turned to the EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Group in Cleveland, a similarly minded nonprofit organization that not only teaches culinary arts to adults who are re-entering society, but provides them with free housing and myriad social services.   

Flynn said he ultimately hopes Second Chance can provide participants with legal assistance and other issues that arise after release from jail or prison. 

EDWINS graduates 100 students per year and places nearly all in restaurant jobs. The percentage of its graduates who reoffend after three years of release is less than 1%; the national recidivism rate, per EDWINS literature, is 47%.

According to the New Jersey Department of Corrections, the recidivism rate in New Jersey is about 30%.

“Sometimes, all people need is a breath,” said EDWINS founder and president Brandon Chrostowski, whose encounter with the criminal justice system many years ago paved the way for the creation of his program. “Just give someone (time) to breathe in a new environment, with high-level skills and confidence moving forward.

“We’re providing those surroundings and that skill set around it,” he said. “That’s all it takes.”

For more information about Second Chance, contact Jim Flynn at [email protected] or 732-859-5643.

Sarah Griesemer joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2003 and has been writing all things food since 2014. Send restaurant tips to [email protected].

Source: Asbury Park

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