COVINGTON, Ga. - Five people are hard at work paving the streets of Newton County as part of the County’s NEWFORCE program.

Newton’s Engagement with Focus on Recovering Citizen Employment program began in March and is already showing dividens with participants hard at work as part of Newton County’s Public Works Department.

NEWFORCE takes members of the Newton County Sheriff’s Office Workforce Development program, including Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Prorgram, CHOICES, Child Support or other programs available in the detention facility and places them in jobs within the Newton County Government. The program began earlier this year with Chairman Marcello Banes working with the Human Resources and Public Works department to partner with the Newton County Sheriff’s Office Workforce Development Program.

For the RSAT, CHOICES or other graduates of programs at the Newton County Detention Facility to gain employment within Newton County, the County must first be notified by the Sheriff’s Office or courts of their graduation and they are ready to work and meets all the qualifications of the open position.

The Sheriff’s Office Workforce Development program has also placed a graduate at Hopi Contractors.