Certified convict coffee makers

Of course there are some compassionate people out in the community who are prepared to give people a second chance

Not to be rude, but by the time people are sent away in Canberra, they aren’t exactly on their ‘second’ chance.

i think this is a huge positive step forward. well done to corrective services and the women concerned.

Prison: skills for life. Just like McDonalds.

“#20 – If you need 15 hours of class instruction and then practice to get a certificate to show you know how to make a cup of coffee then it’s hippie coffee.

How hard is it to boil a jug and whack in a spoon or two of 43 beans in every cup?

Life’s too short for instant coffee”

Life’s too short to wait for the tools making the coffee at most of the big chains. Particularly when the result is crap.

These people might find jobs in restaurants. A relative who is an aspirant coffee-wanker becomes quite devastated whenever he goes to the posh Canberra restaurant du jour, has a wonderful meal, and the coffee at the end is terrible. Seems to happen rather a lot.

Sammy said :

And what if the ex-con is the most qualified person for the job?

You’d probably be more concerned with the pigs that were continually flying into the glass at the front of your coffee shop.

No sense trying to reason with the unreasonable.

From memory I’ve hired 4 ex-cons over the years and I’ve found them all to be very good workers. Highly motivated to put in a solid days work to keep their job and get on with life. I’m sure lots of people would worry about hiring these guys but in my experience they worked hard, were reliable and stayed around longer then most, probably motivated by the knowledge that jobs are harder for them to get. All four had done basic computer repair courses in jail and that was one of the reasons we hired them in the first place

barking toad said :

#20 – If you need 15 hours of class instruction and then practice to get a certificate to show you know how to make a cup of coffee then it’s hippie coffee.

How hard is it to boil a jug and whack in a spoon or two of 43 beans in every cup?

Life’s too short for instant coffee

Actually friends of mine in the catering industry continually struggle to find enough employees in Canberra; especially staff that can make a decent cup of coffee without the need for further training. I think this initiate makes good sense, providing the employers are prepared to give staff a chance.

bailes23 said :

Whatsup said :

At a coffee shop I would rather a good coffee that has been made by an ex crim than a lousy coffee made by some untrained hack.

+1 Nothing worse than getting horrible coffee made by a “Barista”

Yes there is, and it’s a horrible coffee made by a “Barrister” who has yet to learn the difference between the two words.

So I guess yes courses like this are offered to peace loving law abiding citizens, for nixx.

You just have to look for them, nothing is given to you on a silver platter, unless you are in the clink it seems.

Do unemployed people get access to “hospitality” courses like this as a general rule or is it only for the roses that grow on the inside?

In regards to that, back in around 1997 when I was between jobs, I went on a non government funded (and free to boot) Introduction to Hospitality, provided by McMillan Staff development.

The course was an 8 week full time course which included industry visits, and vocational placement in you rchosen field.

The course covered such things as FOH operations, Kitchen operations, and more broad hospitality operations.

The class was of about 20 or so “students” and in order to qualify for the course, you had to be unemployed and sit an interview to justify why you shoul dattend (Covering their arses I guess)

At the rate of 20 students for 8 weeks, one could imagine this would have been a pretty expensive exercise for a private company.

I also support this initiative.

It would perhaps be a good idea if there was an added financial incentive for an employer to employ a person with a criminal history, as with apprentices, and some kind of insurance or safety net against cases where abuse of trust becomes an issue and the employee reoffends.

Sure, there are some who doesn’t deserve to be given a privilege and should rot in a corner reflecting on the grief they’ve caused to others. But would I want an ex-crim while a rehabilitated life to make me a cup of good coffee? Yes, I would. The sooner they acquire new skills to apply to life and return to the society, the lesser burden it will be for the taxpayers.

Whatsup said :

At a coffee shop I would rather a good coffee that has been made by an ex crim than a lousy coffee made by some untrained hack.

+1 Nothing worse than getting horrible coffee made by a “Barista”

Chewy14 +1

barking toad said :

#20 – If you need 15 hours of class instruction and then practice to get a certificate to show you know how to make a cup of coffee then it’s hippie coffee.

How hard is it to boil a jug and whack in a spoon or two of 43 beans in every cup?

Heathen!! you should go straight to hell for your caffeine blasphemy.

Courses in prison are a Good Thing. They keep prisoners busy and they may as well use all that free time to do something constructive that will benefit them, the community and probably their family too when released.

I’m all for it.

barking toad said :

#20 – If you need 15 hours of class instruction and then practice to get a certificate to show you know how to make a cup of coffee then it’s hippie coffee.

How hard is it to boil a jug and whack in a spoon or two of 43 beans in every cup?

That makes absolutely no sense.

#20 – If you need 15 hours of class instruction and then practice to get a certificate to show you know how to make a cup of coffee then it’s hippie coffee.

How hard is it to boil a jug and whack in a spoon or two of 43 beans in every cup?

caf said :

FC: Broadly, a word of UK origin for Conservatives.

ah, thanks 🙂

I’ve seen plenty of criminally bad attempts to make coffee… I suppose this is the logical next step.

FC: Broadly, a word of UK origin for Conservatives.

There must be plans to start a Crim Coffee Shop

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/04/ald-not-biting-at-felony-franks-proposal.html

I hope they used Rainforest Alliance coffee!

weeziepops said :

Do unemployed people get access to “hospitality” courses like this as a general rule or is it only for the roses that grow on the inside?

Yes they do, employment agencies can assist with training.

For Vg’s comment at #1, that, unfortunately is the reality for a lot of ex-convicts, which is why he has to pick them up again once they’re out.

caf said :

FC: Any coffee, because Tories only drink Tea (and then only English Breakfast or Earl Grey, natch).

Excuse my ignorance, but what is a a Torie?

At a coffee shop I would rather a good coffee that has been made by an ex crim than a lousy coffee made by some untrained hack.

Also, any ‘Barista’ who raises an eyebrow when you gently and politely ask them to

“STOP BOILING THE MILK BECAUSE YOU’RE BURNING IT DON’T YOU KNOW MILK BOILS AT 70 DEGREES!!”

needs to go to jail to get some training on how to do it properly.

FC: Any coffee, because Tories only drink Tea (and then only English Breakfast or Earl Grey, natch).

I believe that there are two main functions of jails:

1. To protect the community from violent offenders. Who, if violent enough will never be released back into the community. But considering you would basically need to be a serial murderer to get ‘life’ thanks to the ACT Court system, the second purpose is more important.

2. To rehabilitate offenders so they won’t re-offend once released. Of course there are some people who are beyond rehabilitation. What to do with them is another discussion altogether. But certainly some people need a second chance and need to be set-up to succeed in the real world. Our corrective system at the moment does not do enough to help rehabilitated prisoners succeed and not re-offend.

So these programs are a step in right direction… and there needs to be a lot more of it combined with more hands on support once they are released back into the community.

Of course, this can only be part of a broad, wide ranging approach to stop re-offending and even more important, prevent (as much as possible) people engaging in crime in the first-place.

I am the CoffeeGeek, and as such the self-appointed arbiter on all things coffee related on riotact.

The term “Expresso” may only be used in small country town sandwich shops run by ladies in their mid-to-late 60s, named either Donna, Shirl, or ‘Lisbeth, where ‘Double-shots’ and ‘Doppio’ don’t exist, but they can “press the button twice if you want it very strong”.

weeziepops said :

Do unemployed people get access to “hospitality” courses like this as a general rule or is it only for the roses that grow on the inside?

yes they do.

barking toad said :

It is their human right to learn how to make hippie coffee.

Now burglaries will include latte machines on the list.

Nobody should be surprised that the minister for lunch considers this an
achievement or an advertisement for the motel.

making “hippie” coffee.
Please enlighten me as you what would count as “hippie” coffee?

And what if the ex-con is the most qualified person for the job?

You’d probably be more concerned with the pigs that were continually flying into the glass at the front of your coffee shop.

caf said :

Assisting these people to become useful members of society is a god thing

+1

mostly things that they can employ the prisoners to do inside the facility?

I like how they’re being employed to serve coffee to visitors, and not staff.

If I worked in the prison, I don’t think i’d want to consume something made by an inmate.

Sammy said :

Of course there are some compassionate people out in the community who are prepared to give people a second chance and decision makers in the ACT

And there are those that are realists. Ten people apply for a job serving coffee, which also involves handling money via the cash register. All ten people have the appropriate skills to make coffee. One of them has been to prison. There are already enough pertinent variables on which to consider the ten people applying for the job, so now your list only has nine people on it.

And what if the ex-con is the most qualified person for the job?

Post #8 Of course there are some compassionate people out in the community who are prepared to give people a second chance and decision makers in the ACT who are prepared to try programs that have the potential to provide those in prison with job skills rather than simply write them off.

Well said!

monomania said :

Of course there are some compassionate people out in the community who are prepared to give people a second chance and decision makers in the ACT who are prepared to try programs that have the potential to provide those in prison with job skills rather than simply write them off.

+1

Assisting these people to become useful members of society is unambiguously a Good Thing, in my book.

Of course there are some compassionate people out in the community who are prepared to give people a second chance and decision makers in the ACT

And there are those that are realists. Ten people apply for a job serving coffee, which also involves handling money via the cash register. All ten people have the appropriate skills to make coffee. One of them has been to prison. There are already enough pertinent variables on which to consider the ten people applying for the job, so now your list only has nine people on it.

Do unemployed people get access to “hospitality” courses like this as a general rule or is it only for the roses that grow on the inside?

vg said :

Question 1 on Cafe Job application form

“Where did you get your cafe qualifications?”

Prison

Question 2

“Do you have any criminal convictions?”

Yes

No need to proceed to question 3

Of course there are some compassionate people out in the community who are prepared to give people a second chance and decision makers in the ACT who are prepared to try programs that have the potential to provide those in prison with job skills rather than simply write them off.

And vg nailed it.

Another question -.”….and you’re used to handling cash….?”

“Oh yes milord, I should say so!”

It is their human right to learn how to make hippie coffee.

Now burglaries will include latte machines on the list.

Nobody should be surprised that the minister for lunch considers this an
achievement or an advertisement for the motel.

damn italics and misspelling ‘exceptionally’…

johnboy said :

ant said :

Well… he IS the Minister for Corrections…

Groan suppressed (barely).

What about cuppachino and muggachino? and regulating the number of c’s in macchiato? This is surely an opportunity for an interdepartmental literacy initiative, a sitdown for Mr Hargreaves and the Minister for Education…

on a different note, it’s interesting to see that there’s a unit called ‘Plan Coffee Shop Layout’. I guess that’s the one where they tell you to use execeptionally small tables to seat 4 people, and to buy the biggest soft drink cabinet you can get and how to find the place on the shop floor where it will be the most visually intrusive…

ant said :

I hope whoever is teaching the General Literacy course wasn’t involved in writing Hargreaves’ media release. And I hope their certificates in Coffee Making don’t have Espresso spelled as Expresso! Won’t get them far if it is.

Well… he IS the Minister for Corrections…

Thanks Vg LMAO

ant said :

I hope whoever is teaching the General Literacy course wasn’t involved in writing Hargreaves’ media release. And I hope their certificates in Coffee Making don’t have Espresso spelled as Expresso! Won’t get them far if it is.

No need to worry Ant, most cons are better educated than advisors working for our local ministers.

I hope whoever is teaching the General Literacy course wasn’t involved in writing Hargreaves’ media release. And I hope their certificates in Coffee Making don’t have Espresso spelled as Expresso! Won’t get them far if it is.

Question 1 on Cafe Job application form

“Where did you get your cafe qualifications?”

Prison

Question 2

“Do you have any criminal convictions?”

Yes

No need to proceed to question 3