10/28/2020: Illinois Correctional Industries Research and Ohio Means Jobs

My nephew asked me to research the Illinois Correctional Industries program to find out which facilities participate, which industries are taught where, and essentially what his chances are to get into the program at any given facility. The information is scarce, but I was able to answer the first points. As to his chances, the best I could come up with was the rules on Good Time, which is time off for good behavior and is based on the programs a prisoner participates in. Looking at the actual statute for Good Time, he seems to qualify. I don't think he can go to the minimum security facilities, and I think it's wrong the dog training and grooming are only available at the women's facilities, but otherwise I think he could transfer to any facility and have a chance. It makes me happy to know he's working toward how to succeed once his sentence is done.

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I've been using several books and online tutorials to learn micro macrame. Today I finally put all the different types of knots into one place, so I can look them up more easily. I'm also working on writing out patterns to make them easier to follow as well.

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Ohio Means Jobs has teamed up with Pymetrics.com, to help people match personality and cognitive traits with a career/training that "better aligns with your natural abilities." The assessment is 30-45 minutes of "games" (read: challenges). Examples: 

• Myself and someone else were both given $10 game money. One of us was chosen randomly to receive another $10 and asked to share some of it with the other person. That other person was then asked to give some of it back. After going through the exercise I was asked if I thought it was fair. 
• Letters were flashed on the screen. I was to hit the space bar only if the current letter matched the letter before the last. 
• Arrows were flashed across the screen. If they were red, I was the hit the arrow key in the direction the outside arrows were pointing. If they were blue, the direction the innermost arrow pointed. If black, there was just one arrow so the direction it pointed. 

The results were... interesting, and sometimes contradictory. I agreed with some. In one they decided I easily dismiss distractions, which was the case in this controlled environment but under normal circumstances is not. For the arrow flashing one my answers were inconsistent. They flashed too quickly for me to change focus from inner to outer arrows. Sometimes my answer referenced the set prior to the one showing when I hit the key. I know I was wrong more often than not, and sometimes I didn't get my keystroke in at all. I think that one had to do with taking risks, which they concluded I am willing to do. At the same time, they indicated I'm methodical. In one they decided I'm slow to change my approach, when what I was trying to do was find a pattern. 

All in all an interesting exercise, but not one I trust implicitly. I certainly wouldn't pay money for it, or hire someone based on the results. 

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Today's accomplishments:

18K+ steps

Watch Critical Role

Wash sheets and blankets

Take Pymetrics assessment

Research Illinois Correctional Industries

Dishes