Supporting CCA One T-Shirt at a Time

North Fork Correctional Facility employees use shirts to connect with the community

Can a T-shirt help people discover opportunities with CCA they never knew existed?

Employees at North Fork Correctional Facility have proven that a T-shirt can do just that – and it all started with one former employee’s vision. That employee, Lynn Chatham, passed away several years ago but her idea has lived on.

“Lynn worked for me in Human Resources and attended lots of community activities where she promoted CCA,” says Vicki Hinkle, manager, Human Resources at North Fork. “She asked if we could design a T-shirt that we could wear to local job fairs and other places, so that’s what we did.”

The front of each T-shirt displays North Fork’s logo and the opposite side bears the words, “Ask me about a rewarding career in corrections.” It’s been years since the shirts were made and North Fork employees are still wearing them. For community members who know little about CCA, the shirts provide a learning opportunity and increase employees’ approachability.

“As we participated in community events, people would come up to those of us who wore the shirts,” says Fred Figueroa, warden at North Fork. “It was an instant hit with the community. The ability for them to speak to someone and have their questions answered was very positive.”

One local gathering where the shirts attracted lots of attention is Sayre, Okla.’s annual “Hoot & Scoot” and Poker Run. Rodney Rooker, mailroom supervisor at North Fork, attended the event wearing his custom-made tee and received numerous inquiries about CCA careers.

“I worked CCA’s booth and we had 14 really good leads as a result of wearing the T-shirts,” he says.

In times like these, Hinkle adds, the T-shirts are bound to stir up conversation. “They’re good advertising and people look at them, especially with the current state of the economy.”

By DeAndra Mack