When I was in jail in 1982, the only food-related job was putting peaches and plums (horse balls) in a can and shipping them to other institutions.

I taught school.

But at the Prince William County Adult Detention Center in Virginia the thing they can’t wait to cook up next could be one step closer. In a new program, inmates learn about food and drink safety and — if they pass a test — can go on to earn certification in those areas through the National Restaurant Association’s ServSafe program, he feels as though he can do anything.

“A lot of people sit back and dream,” said Sgt. Allen West, who spearheaded the jail’s ServSafe program. “They’re incarcerated, but there’s a lot of intelligent people here. They just made some bad decisions. So we can help them along and help them be a productive citizen.”

Tru dat.