WORCESTER -  More than a dozen job recruiters and community organizations are at Worcester County Jail helping inmates connect with re-entry resources in the weeks before their release. 

Worcester County Jail inmate Aziz said, "It's really helpful, you know, we're trying to get some help from other places to better ourselves when we get out to the streets. You know, don't go back to the same things we was doing, trying to look forward."​

"They've been helping us like with our IDs. It's hard for people out there right now getting our IDs. When you're homeless or you're an addict it's hard to get an ID when you don't keep up with your paperwork and stuff like that," said inmate Charles McNeill.

For many inmates, it can be difficult to find a steady job after their release. MassHire's Career and Re-Entry Advisor, Cheryl Kelly, says giving them resources ahead of time can make a big difference.

"They're often kind of just thrown to the wolves. They don't know where to go, and they might need training. They might need other resources," Kelly said. 

Derrick Kiser spent more than 20 years in the Worcester County House of Correction. Now, he's the founder and C.E.O. of Fresh-Start Wellness Center.

He wants to help inmates address their mental health needs before returning to the community.

Kiser said, "I'm just here to promote mental health, letting them know that it's OK to ask for help. A lot of people in this place have a lot of pride, and their ego, they've got to put it to the side, and get the necessary help that is available here."

Sheriff Lew Evangelidis said the goal is to make it as easy as possible for everyone to be successful after their release.

"If we can get them on the right path, especially those first 24, 48, 72 hours, the likelihood of them staying on the right path, not going back to a life of crime, being better people in their own minds and in their own families, that's what it's all about," Evangelidis said.