Welding class preps inmates for life on the outside - Gainesville Times

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Welding class preps inmates for life on the outside

Mike Brandt, center, welding program director at Lanier Technical College, talks with inmates at Hall County Correctional Institution during a welding class in Gainesville, Tuesday, July 17, 2018, at the institute's welding shop. The college offers welding classes to inmates in Hall and Jefferson counties to prevent recidivation by helping them become "immediately employable," says C.I. warden Walt Davis. This is the third group of inmates at the C.I. to take the course. - photo by David Barnes

07192018 WELD 02.jpg — Mike Brandt, center, welding program director at Lanier Technical College, talks with inmates at Hall County Correctional Institution during a welding class in Gainesville, Tuesday, July 17, 2018, at the institute's welding shop. The college offers welding classes to inmates in Hall and Jefferson counties to prevent recidivation by helping them become "immediately employable," says C.I. warden Walt Davis. This is the third group of inmates at the C.I. to take the course. - photo by David Barnes

After nearly a decade behind bars, Ray Grizzle, 49, is now in the midst of the biggest transition of his life.