More than 230 hours of preparation, 115 interviews with prospective employers and not a single job offer. May sound discouraging to some, but to Richard Heyen and 22 of his fellow inmates at the State Penitentiary, it was a learning experience.

Felons with one month to three years left to serve met with employers from Bismarck, Mandan, Jamestown and Finley on Wednesday for the penitentiary's first mock job fair. Inmates spent 10 to 15 hours taking classes to obtain interview and job-seeking skills and prepare a resume. Then they put those skills to work by meeting with five prospective employers for 20 minutes each, followed by five minutes of coaching on their presentations.

"All these guys think they have "ex-felon" tattooed to their forehead," said Tammy Barstad, an employment counselor for the North Dakota prison system. "We did this to stop the fear."

Heyen, 36, who was transferred from the James River Correctional Center last month, volunteered to participate in the job fair to hone his interview skills. If everything works out for the Fargo man, he will be released from the penitentiary this summer after he completes a drug treatment program. He's nearing the end of a three-year sentence for meth and marijuana-related charges, and also was imprisoned from 1989 to 1992 for similar charges.

Heyen sat across from Steve Heydt of Capital Credit Union on the outer edge of a gym full of evenly spaced desks at the penitentiary Wednesday afternoon. At his third interview for the day, Heyen went in with the advice that he should downplay his criminal background. He'd described his offenses in detail a few hours earlier in his first interview.

"I was told I was actually too revealing," Heyen said. "When it comes to having a record, you don't want to say too much."

Resume clutched in his right hand, Heyen met Heydt's gaze and listed his accomplishments: a associate degree from Bismarck State College, a bachelor's of science degree from North Dakota State University and a job history that includes restaurant work, lawn care, fencing and painting.

After 20 minutes, Heyen wasn't offered a job but received some more valuable advice. He discovered that his education was probably his most valuable asset in obtaining a job, and it should be a priority on his resume and during interviews.

"This experience is good. It brushes up my skills at interviews," Heyen said. "It's really good for inmates going out into the job market, especially if they don't have experience."

Heyen already has a job lined up with a painting company in Fargo when he's released and said he should be able to get a job at a restaurant. But his goal is to try to find work in facility management, which was his major course of study in college.

The concept for mock job fairs for inmates began in the Texas prison system and was later adopted by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Barstad brought the job fair to Bismarck, and it received a favorable reception from businesses.

Dakota Fence Manager Brian Eslinger said he didn't think he would find any potential employees, but after a few interviews, he discovered there was some talent and hard-working men behind the walls. Eslinger said he's had troubles in the past with new employees not showing up for work and being irresponsible, and someone who's paid a heavy price for past mistakes may become a productive member of the work force. Eslinger said he would consider hiring an inmate who was willing to be honest and straightforward.

The poor work ethic of new employees drove Dave Tuhy of Wiest Truckline Inc. to search within the prison system for prospective employees in the past and again Wednesday. He said he met with inmates to recruit them a few years ago, but discovered afterward that a majority of them still had years left on their sentences. He hopes for more timely results from Wednesday's job fair.

"The potential employers get to see what type of individuals we have out here and their great skills," Barstad said.

(Reach reporter Mike Albrecht at 250-8261 or cops@ndonline.com.)