It Found Me

I didn't go looking for this opportunity. It found me.

When CoreCivic reached out to ask if Legacy EV would be willing to bring our electric vehicle training programs into Red Rock Correctional Center, I didn't hesitate. Not because it was a smart business move, but because it was personal.

I grew up with a brother and a cousin in prison. One served 18 months. The other, 15 years. I know what that does to a family. I also know something else: those weren't bad people. They were people who got caught up in circumstances that led them somewhere they never planned to go. Smart people. People with potential that the system doesn't always have a way to reach.

So when I got that call, I was eager to figure it out and make it happen.

We launched the program at Red Rock in January. Participants earn real, industry-recognized credentials through a progressive EV curriculum. It begins with High Voltage Level 1, covering electrical safety awareness and foundational competency. Participants then advance to High Voltage Level 2, which covers service and maintenance on high-voltage electrical systems. These aren't watered-down certifications. This is the same training we deliver to technicians entering one of the fastest-growing industries in the country.

A few months ago we celebrated our first graduation.

What excites me most is how far these skills reach. Yes, EV technology is one clear path forward upon release, and the industry has shown a real openness to hiring people with records. But high-voltage electrical competency opens doors across a much broader landscape: energy storage systems, solar and grid infrastructure, data centers, advanced manufacturing, and emerging clean energy sectors that are growing rapidly and hungry for trained workers. We're not just preparing people for one job. We're giving them a foundation that travels with them into the economy of the future.

I'll be honest, I'm the new guy in corrections. I have deep respect for the professionals in this field who have spent careers doing this work, navigating complexity I'm only beginning to understand. But I've seen enough already to know that what happens inside these walls matters enormously for what happens outside them. Research is clear: meaningful employment is one of the strongest predictors of successful reentry.

Everyone deserves the chance to build a better future. I believe that because I've watched what happens when that chance doesn't come. And I believe it because, standing in that training lab at Red Rock, I've watched what happens when it does.

I'm just getting started. And I can't wait to see what comes next.

- Rob