10/21/2026

Second Chance Optical Training

If you are anything like me, you can’t count the number of second chances you’ve had in life. Whether it’s for when you messed up in school, screwed up at work, or just flat out made a bad decision, most of us have been afforded the grace of second chances. It was in this spirit that the Second Chance Optical Training Program was created. 
 
Early in 2025, Ohio Penal Industries (OPI), in coordination with the Ohio Reformatory for Women, contacted the Opticians Association of Ohio (OAO) for assistance in helping female inmates to become licensed opticians. Initially, they had approached the Ohio Vision Professionals Board (VPB), but because of current laws regarding licensure for Ohio opticians, and the fact that the women have felony records, it was determined that licensure was not an option for these ladies seeking to reenter society as opticians. 
 
Not wanting to give up on the hope of having these determined women being able to one day work in the optical field, OPI invited Executive Director of the OAO, Shirley Earley, and I to visit the on-site optical lab at the reformatory in Marysville, Ohio. We were stunned by what these women are accomplishing, on a daily basis, with basic machinery and instruments.  

For example, a team of approximately 25 inmates takes orders for and fabricates glasses for many of the prisons in Ohio, as well as other institutions. They surface and polish the lenses without the benefit of modern technology, using machines that were popular in the late 1980s to 1990s era. They utilize aluminum laps, edgers with patterns, and have trained themselves to maintain the equipment with few resources from the outside world. 
 
Knowing that the VPB would not allow the inmates to be licensed opticians, the OAO proposed that we, as an association, set up a program to not only train these ladies on what they will need to work in the optical field, but also document what they learn. Upon their release, in Ohio, they will be able to work under the supervision of a licensed optician, or they can work for an optometrist or ophthalmologist. In other states, they may qualify to be a certified optician. The goal is to have them all pass the American Board of Opticianry (ABO) as well. It will be a benefit to them and to future employers to be able to prove, not only their competency in passing the ABO exam, but also with the documented skills they will learn in the Second Chance Optical Training Program. 
 
A team of at least 3 ABO certified opticians will go into the prison 6 sessions each year, with each session being a weekend with 12 total hours of study and testing. 
 
We had our first session on September 14th and 15th. On the team were John Bruening, ABOC/NCLEC, Melissa Sutherland, ABOC, and Keenan Anderson, ABOC. All of the trainers are also on the OAO Board of Directors, with John being president, and Melissa being vice president. 
 
The initial courses included Optical Terminology, Physics of Light, Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology, Diseases and Disorders, Refractive Error, How Lenses Work, and Prescription Interpretation. The students were all enthusiastic, engaged, and asked great questions. While some of the group are beginners, there is a wealth of optical knowledge among the inmates, and there were some very in-depth discussions that went way beyond novice optics. At the end of the second day, after testing, certificates for the session were handed out, and the expressions on the faces of the students lit up the room. There was a great feeling of accomplishment and a boost of confidence, especially after the results of the testing came back. 
 
Reflecting on the experience and the enthusiasm of the students, Keenan Anderson, ABOC, shared his perspective: “You would expect to walk into a room of hardened inmates who care nothing about what you are about to teach them; however, this was the furthest thing from the truth. These ladies who work within the optical lab onsite were the most eager to learn students I have ever had the honor of teaching. Every piece of info I went over, they diligently recorded notes on, asked pertinent questions, and were all around engaged with the teachings. It was truly a lovely experience.” 
 
We will be going back in November for the next session, which will be 12 hours of hands-on workshops on the adjusting, repairing, modifying, fitting, and assembling of eyewear. If you are interested in volunteering for this program, even if it’s just for an hour or two session, or if you would like to donate financially to the program, contact OAO President John Bruening or OAO Executive Director Shirley Earley. Corporate partners of this program are also welcomed and needed.