Fathers Building Futures help ex-cons rebuild their lives

The familiar whine of a power saw could be heard from down the hallway and the smell of burnt wood still lingered in the air inside the workshop at Fathers Building Futures on Wednesday. Two men were hard at work measuring and cutting wood, moving from worktable to worktable, kicking up wood dust.

One was 43-year-old Justin Mack. His tattooed hands tightly gripping pieces of all-natural pieces of wood as he diligently read his tape measure. He is one of the roughly 20 active participants enrolled with Fathers Building Futures.

A nonprofit located at 1223 Fourth NW in Albuquerque, Fathers Building Futures’ goal is to provide support to New Mexican fathers who are returning home from prison and provide them with the skills necessary to return not only to their families but to the workforce.

Mack was jailed at the Metropolitan Detention Center for 2½ years. Since joining the program in September, he has been working part time for the nonprofit, building handmade wooden items in its workshop. In addition, he is taking parenting and other life-skills classes at Fathers Building Futures.

“(Fathers Building Futures) helped me so much. It helped me get my ID, my driver’s license, a job, something to fall back on,” Mack said.

He is also hopeful the program will help him reconnect with his 7-year-old daughter.

“I’m not in her life,” Mack said. “I’m trying to get in her life, and the program is helping me with that, too.”

In many ways, Mack’s story is a microcosm of Fathers Building Futures’ entire mission. Joseph Shaw, director of nonprofit operations and a former participant of the program, said it is focused primarily on fathers with children younger than 18 and who are leaving incarceration in New Mexico.

“Whether it’s stepchildren, biological children or even a grandparent raising a child, it doesn’t matter,” Shaw said.

Fathers Building Futures offers a six-month reentry program to participants. Men are referred to the program by Bernalillo Health Initiative and, if they agree to join, are visited several times in prison prior to their release by Fathers Building Futures social workers, who administer the lifestyle classes.

The classes focus on transitional living questions, according to Katie Manning, the nonprofit’s client outcomes manager, such as, where are you going to live? And what does it look like when you get out?

“As they come out (of incarceration), we do four months of post-release programs,” Manning said. “It’s paid on-the-job training, it’s part-time temporary employment, 25 hours a week, $15 an hour.”

That 25 hours each week is spent learning introductory skills for woodworking and welding alongside fellow program participants. The woodworking is taught by the nonprofit’s master woodworker Richard Webb, who also served time in jail.

Having peers and instructors who have a similar experience being incarcerated is important, Shaw said. “It’s a good way to build a relationship on trust when you’re sitting across from someone that you know can relate to what you’ve been through.”

The handmade wooden items participants make at the workshop are for sale on the Fathers Building Futures website, fathersbuildingfutures.org, and the proceeds go back to the nonprofit.

In addition to learning trade skills, program participants have the option of several life-skill courses.

“We try to individualize our services as much as possible. Everyone’s a little bit different, so we try to see what they like and how best we can support them on their path to success,” Manning said.

Ranging from financial empowerment to parenting and job readiness, each course is designed with the end goal of permanent employment. Fathers Building Futures will provide support for alumni for up to two years after they leave the program.

“We like to say, ‘once a client, always a client,’” Manning said.

Fathers Building Futures can assist program alumni with referrals for job searches, detox and treatment centers and other organizations that help assist program participants.

“You hear people say, ‘if I could just help one person,’ and knowing that we’re helping these guys to better themselves and to be the best version of themselves that they can, that’s a win,” Shaw said.

Photos: Inside Fathers Building Futures' workshop