Damion Britt was serving a sentence for felony drug distribution in a state prison in Capron, Va., when he saw a flyer advertising a new and unusual work-release program.
Priority Auto Group, of Chesapeake, Va., was recruiting nonviolent offenders to train as service technicians. Not only could the inmates work for pay at a Priority dealership during their training, the 18-rooftop dealership group was guaranteeing them full-time jobs after they graduated.
Britt, 44, has been locked up since 2014 and is scheduled for release in July. He says a career path is rare for someone in his situation.
"It's often hard to obtain meaningful employment when you've got that 'F' on your record," Britt told Fixed Ops Journal. "You're excluded from being able to obtain a job as soon as you put 'felony' on that application."