Jessamine County Detention Center re-entry program helps former inmate secure job, faith and fatherhood

Jessamine County’s Detention Center in Nicholasville is credited with helping a former inmate rebuild his life after leaving jail, according to a report from LEX 18 News. Charles Duncan, who was incarcerated at the facility, said the center’s re-entry programming gave him a path forward that he had not seen during his first days behind bars.

LEX 18 reported that Duncan connected with Robert Barbosa, a former inmate who now serves as a re-entry coordinator at the detention center and works directly with people preparing to leave custody. In the reporting, Duncan described a message Barbosa delivered early in the process, emphasizing acceptance and belonging as he worked to change his circumstances while incarcerated.

During his time in custody, Duncan said he took part in the jail’s 24-7 Dads program and its Fatherhood Initiative. According to LEX 18, the programming emphasized fatherhood responsibilities and focused on turning personal goals into day-to-day discipline, including preparing for what comes after release rather than leaving planning to the last moment.

After Duncan’s release last summer, he began putting those efforts into practice, the report said. LEX 18 reported that Duncan now works at NetComm as an IT support technician, describing the job as something he said he could not have imagined before his involvement with the detention center’s re-entry efforts.

The LEX 18 story said Duncan’s progress has also reinforced Barbosa’s commitment to the jail’s re-entry efforts. Barbosa was quoted describing the work as about more than short-term compliance, saying that watching Duncan strive to be a better father each day is central to why the facility invests time and resources into re-entry programming.

Duncan, who told LEX 18 he was baptized, said his 5-year-old son Anthony is his greatest motivation. In the report, Duncan said his guiding personal motto is to “do the next right thing,” framing his post-release priorities around consistent steps tied to family responsibility rather than abstract promises.

Officials and program staff often emphasize that re-entry services can reduce instability for people returning to the community, including by linking them to support, planning, and employment opportunities. In this case, LEX 18 reported that Duncan’s transition included both faith-related renewal and concrete job placement, facilitated by participation in fatherhood-focused programming while he was incarcerated.