Jimmy Bailey loves to cook. In fact, he cooks four times a day.
He cooks breakfast, lunch and dinner for the inmates of the Alachua County Jail, and lunch once a day for the staff.
Bailey, 46, who was arrested in September for theft, is one of four inmates who are attending the 90-day culinary program offered at the jail. Through the program, the inmates learn about kitchen safety, sanitation, cooking utensils and food storage.
"Inmates cooking to earn a certification to possibly get a job when they get out of jail, that's something new," ASO Bureau Chief Eugene Morris said.
The food service company ARAMARK provides the class with its food, supplies and teachers.
Ninety-five percent of the inmates are going home after they serve their time in jail and most of them live in Gainesville, he said.
"From the time someone walks in the door to the time they go home, it is our job to get them ready for reentry," Morris said. "And it is their job to take advantage of what we provide."
Morris said the jail held a construction program last fall for the inmates and a few of them who have been released are now taking construction courses at Santa Fe College.
If the inmates pass the course's final test, they will be certified food service professionals, Morris said. He smiled as he said that his speech at the course graduation will probably include "a recipe for success."
