In his keynote address to the US Conference of Mayors, the majority of Mayor Bloomberg's speech focused on employment issues for offenders.  Here are some highlights:

"...instead of simply opening the cell doors and letting people fend for themselves, we work with them beforehand to assess their needs and create a plan for where they will go and what they will do after they're discharged. If they don't have a plan, then they don't have a chance.  And that's why, on the day of their release, we also provide them with transportation from Rikers Island directly to the housing or community-based provider that's detailed in their plan.  The program's participants then continue to receive case management and support for up to 90 days after their release.

So far, the program has provided assistance to about 31,000 men and women, arming them with the tools and skills they need to begin leading honest, productive, and fulfilling lives.  And our efforts are clearly paying off:  A study by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice discovered that the participants who completed the full program were 30 percent less likely than other participants to return to jail within the year after their release."

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"But by far the most important thing we can to do to help people leaving our jails rebuilds their lives and become productive members of society is to help them find good jobs.  A good job provides more than a paycheck; it affords a sense of pride and self-worth and that creates a domino effect, empowering people to take charge of all aspects of their lives.  Of course, connecting the formerly incarcerated to jobs is a particularly daunting challenge, because people with criminal records are among the hardest-to-employ in the nation. So to really make a difference, we must make sure that these people have the skills that employers want."

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"Over the past six years, our City's Department of Small Business Services, led by Rob Walsh, whom you'll hear from later today, has completely revamped the way we help businesses hire New Yorkers by customizing job-training programs specifically to employers' needs. We are now bringing those same elements to many of the re-entry programs we offer men and women leaving our jails.

But ensuring that they have the right skills will not, by itself, increase job opportunities.  To do that, we must also come to the table with a business proposition that appeals directly to employers' interests.  That means showing them that the city's workforce developers can deliver people who are prepared to be responsible, dependable, and trust-worthy.  And in many cases, it also means offering support and hiring incentives."

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"Our City's Commission on Human Rights will also continue to go after businesses that deny employment to individuals because of their criminal record, something that's illegal to do in our city."

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"We can't guarantee that any of our initiatives will be a complete success but we also can't be afraid to try new ideas and test new solutions when it comes to our most intractable problems. As with everything we do, we will measure our programs' results and make adjustments depending on what works and what doesn't. And if our programs don't work at all, then we will try another approach.  We won't give up.  Our commitment to this issue and the ramifications of this problem, if we turn our backs to it, are simply too great."