Inmates at the Riverfront State Prison in Camden attempted to secure future employment by participating in a job fair that brought together potential employers and offenders. The job fair, titled "New Beginning," was held Thursday, Dec. 4, at the prison.

The fair was designed to give Riverfront inmates a realistic view of the employment market and to help them find work once they are released. Nearly a dozen of potential employers and educational institutions - among them Park Place Entertainment, Sheet Metal Workers Local 19, Jiffy Lube and Camden County Technical Institute - were on hand for the event, which was sponsored by the New Jersey Department of Corrections and the host institution.

Hundreds of inmates participated.

New Jersey Department of Corrections Commissioner Devon Brown noted that a disproportionate number of offenders suffer from low self-esteem. Further, he added, many of those same offenders have no understanding of the process by which a potential employer is approached and a job secured. By providing educational training and instituting face-to-face encounters with companies from across the state, prison officials are trying to address both of those issues.

At the same time, the commissioner related, they're aiding in inmate rehabilitation.