Four men at the Walton County Jail graduated from the Heavy Equipment Operators Course

Four men incarcerated at the Walton County Jail graduated from Heavy Equipment Operators Course.

They make up the fourth graduating class from the Jail’s program.

All four men received their certificates Wednesday during a small ceremony.

Congratulations to Jacob Bankston, Larry Carter, Robert Durham, and Scott Jones,

Brendon Tipton also successfully completed the course but was released before the ceremony. He will be mailed his certificate.

“They’ve earned it, now it’s up to them to put those skills to work,” said Sheriff Michael Adkinson.

During the six-week course, the men learned the safety and operation of five pieces of equipment; a bulldozer, excavator, front end loader, skid loader, and a backhoe.

“This is one of the best classes I’ve had the privilege of teaching since my time here at the Sheriff’s Office,” said Mark Simmons, the vocational equipment instructor for the course. “Two have already been offered jobs once they are released.”

The Heavy Equipment program started in 2018 to give inmates an opportunity to learn a skill that would help qualify them for a job when they re-enter their community.

“We are aiming for recovery – not recidivism,” said Sheriff Adkinson.

The jail offers other vocational opportunities for inmates including welding and grow programs.