FORT MADISON, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Department of Labor is aiming to prepare offenders to become productive citizens when they leave prison. Executive officer at the Iowa State Penitentiary, Rebecca Bowker, says the program will allow inmates to gain skills that will make it easier to adapt and succeed in a trade when they leave prison.

The Daily Democrat reports that inmates can learn cooking, housekeeping or cabinet making through the program. The cooking and housekeeping programs are also services used within the prison. Bowker says there are 39 offenders involved in the program and that the number of participants continues to grow.