Not only are these two former inmates helping to fight forest fires since gaining their freedom, they’re also proving to their peers that there is life after prison.
During their time at Central New Mexico Correctional Facility, Lawrence Jaramillo and Joshua Melendrez were just two of the inmates who participated in a state-run program that teaches inmates about firefighting and prevention.
The program, which taught the men life skills that they could use to reintegrate into society upon their release, often placed the men on the front lines of wildfire response teams in New Mexico.
The experience was profoundly moving for Melendrez and Jaramillo, and they would often dream of starting a business together once they were released. So, when they were finally freed from the correctional facility in July 2017 and January 2018 respectively, they launched their own forestry company.
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Since they got a business license to operate All Around Forestry in November 2019, the dynamic duo has hired a crew of former inmates to join their company.
“There is life after prison, and that’s what I would like for them to take from this,” Jaramillo told ABC News.
Furthermore, their company has provided much-needed backup support to state firefighters battling blazes across ‘The Land of Enchantment’.
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