Offender Employment

Creating a Workforce Development Culture To Reduce Reincarceration

2009-11-09T18:24:00Z

In the mid-1990s, offender reentry gained visibility as an important public policy issue. At that time, organizations such as the U.S. Department of Education (ED), the National Institute of Corrections (NIC), and the National Institute of Justice began exploring offender workforce development strategies as an avenue for promoting the successful reintegration of offenders into communities. These strategies stem from the idea that offender employment builds communities, increases the economic self-sufficiency of families, strengthens fragile families, and provides structure and support for those seeking to remain crime free.

In 2003, ED's Life Skills for State and Local Prisoners Program awarded a 3-year, $1 million research/ demonstration grant to support Vermont's Workforce Development Program. Correctional administrators in Vermont aimed to reduce recidivism by 25 percent for offenders with poor work histories and moderate to high risk of reoffending by using a strengths-based approach to teach fundamental life skills throughout education, work, and living units.

This strengths-based program approach is built on participants' understanding and use of the "Habits of Mind," which are 16 aspects of behavioral intelligence, or life skills, that foster effective problem solving. In addition to reducing recidivism by 25 percent and reinforcing participants' acquisition of the Habits of Mind, the Workforce Development Program targeted a 90percent employment rate within 1 month of release and sought to make changes in the organizational culture at each of three program sites.

Read the rest of NIC's Transition and Offender Workforce Development Bulletin on NIC's website.

NIC's 'Online/Kiosk Employment Application Simulation' Used in New York's Digital Reentry Programs

2009-07-27T20:42:00Z

The summer issue of New York State Department of Correctional Services' quarterly newsletter, DOCS Today, includes a summary of their expanding use of digital reentry programming. See page 8. Computer labs (not internet accessible) are used to both deliver services and increase computer literacy for inmates nearing release. Nearly 12,000 inmates have used the labs for self-guided career tutorials, skills assessments, access to statewide job databases, and developing basic computer skills. NIC's simulated online job application also prepares inmates to apply online for jobs, or apply at automated kiosks. Watch for a related Information Bulletin, "Career Resource Centers: An Emerging Strategy for Improving Offender Employment Outcomes," to be released by NIC later this summer.

Gorczyk, Lucenti developed programs to help prisoners integrate into society

2008-11-24T16:10:00Z

From the Rutland Herald:

"Nearly a year ago, on Leap Day, Feb. 29, two men whose innovations in the field of corrections turned Vermont into a national model quietly retired.

John Gorczyk, the state's longest-serving commissioner of corrections, and Bob Lucenti, the founder and superintendent of the Community High School of Vermont, brought Vermont national recognition with programs that translated the department's mission statement into reality.

As chief of the state's prisons, Gorczyk's No. 1 objective was to prepare offenders to play positive roles when they returned to the community.

"I wanted to have the best treatment programs in the country," he said, "and I wanted to ... (link) corrections more closely to the community."

He also improved health care and mental health services for offenders and oversaw the founding of the nation's first statewide high school system within a correctional system. Gorczyk also pioneered treatment programs that became national models and he created restorative justice programs.

The National Institute of Corrections is promoting his most recent innovation - a workforce development program that improved prisoners' employability and significantly reduced rates of recidivism, or reoffending - for replication on a national scale.

"John is considered a real innovator in the field of corrections," said John Moore, a division chief at the National Institute of Corrections who worked with Gorczyk for 25 years. "Because the Vermont correctional system is small," he added, "we've actually used it as a laboratory state."

Read the full article here.

From Prison to Work: Overcoming Barriers to Reentry

2008-11-20T15:42:00Z

From Prison to Work: Overcoming Barriers to Reentry

A Hamilton Project Policy Discussion

Friday, December 5, 2008, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

The National Press Club Ballroom, 529 14th Street NW, Washington, DC

On December 5, The Hamilton Project will host a policy discussion on the challenges of prisoner reentry. Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Robert E. Rubin will give welcoming remarks and introduce U.S. Senator Jim Webb who will give the keynote address. Federal, state and local governments are feeling the strain of a vastlyexpanded penal system that supports over 2.25 million inmates nationwide. With 700,000 people released from prison each year, there is a social andeconomic imperative to create policies that help newly released prisoners transition into their communities and maintain stable employment. Following the keynote address, The Hamilton Project will host a policy roundtable on this important issue. Bruce Western of Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government will provide an overview of his new proposal, which will be released as a Hamilton Project discussion paper. Western envisions a national prisoner reentry program that would combine transitional employment, housing and substance abuse treatment with in-prison education and post-release parole reform. A panel of experts, including Scott Anders with the U.S. Probation Office in the Eastern District of Missouri, Glenn Martin with the Fortune Society, and Michael Thomas, prosecuting attorney for Saginaw County, Michigan, will comment on the proposal and offer perspectives based on their diverse, on-the-ground experiences. Brookings Senior Fellow and Hamilton Project Director Douglas W. Elmendorf will moderate the discussion. After each segment of the program, the panelists will take audience questions.

To RSVP, please visit

http://guest.cvent.com/i.aspx?4W,M3,92a94212-cd6b-4d4c-91c5-35ba60a1822a

2009 Defendant/Offender Workforce Development Conference

2008-10-24T21:21:00Z

Go here for information about the 2009 Defendant/Offender Workforce Development Conference which will occur on April 5-8, 2009 in Pittsburgh, PA. See you there!

Improving the Employment Rates of Ex-Prisoners Under Parole

2008-10-24T21:03:00Z

This article, written by John Rakis, reviews and analyzes the methods that are currently being used by parole agencies to assist former prisoners in their search for employment.

OES Training Report

2008-10-17T15:25:00Z

The following was contributed by guest blogger Karlton Miller:

On August 18-19, 2008, and September 2-3, 2008, the U.S. Probation Office for the Eastern District of Missouri hosted OES training for probation staff, as well as officers with the Missouri Board of Probation and Parole and community partners from St. Louis and Cape Girardeau. Trainers included Francina Carter and John Rakis with NIC, Cynthia Mendiola with U.S. Probation in the Western District of Texas, and Jimmy Tyree with U.S. Probation in the Northern District of Ohio. The trainers worked through the OES curriculum in two days in order to accommodate several schedules. The goal of the training was to raise awareness of the importance of employment for offenders under supervision, to better assist them as they transition from prison to the community, and to give all supervision officers an individual exposure to the challenges of offender employment. Overall the training was well received. We look forward to seeing the results of the training as officers find new and creative ways to help our population become successful while under our supervision.

DOWD Conference Now Accepting Presentation Proposals

2008-08-27T12:38:00Z

The National Planning Committee for the 2009 Defendant / Offender Workforce Development (DOWD) Conference is seeking proposals for the various presentations. The conference is scheduled April 5-8, 2009 in Pittsburgh, PA. All are welcome to apply. The deadline is Monday, September 15^th. Details about the conference and submitting a proposal can be found here.

Two new jail resources

2008-07-25T17:59:00Z

Both resources were created jointly by the Urban Institute, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and the Montgomery County, Maryland Department of Correction and Rehabilitation.

Life after Lockup: Improving Reentry from Jail to the Community discusses reentry and transition issues from a jails perspective.

The Jail Administrator's Toolkit for Reentry provides guidance for preparing inmates for their transition from jail to the community.

Federal, local governments offering tax incentives to hire parolees

2008-07-16T13:12:00Z

Getting Out of Prison and Into a Job: Federal, local governments offering tax incentives to hire parolees

This article discusses the growing desire to employ ex-offenders and the various tax incentives that are available through Federal and local governments.

New Mexico Class Completes Offender Workforce Development Specialist (OWDS) Training

2008-06-30T15:02:00Z

On June 27, 2008 at the CNM Workforce Training Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, 22 participants received certificates for completing the Offender Workforce Development Specialist Partnership Training program. The participants included representatives for U.S. Probation, the New Mexico Corrections Department, the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, the New Mexico Probation and Parole Division, the New Mexico Aging and Long Term Services Department, and nonprofit organizations serving the reentry needs of offenders. We extend our congratulations to the class graduates!

View Video
Format: aspx
Duration: 1:25

Albany, NY class completes Offender Workforce Development Specialist (OWDS) training

2008-06-20T19:10:00Z

On June 19, 2008 at the headquarters of the New York State Department of Labor in Albany, New York, 24 participants received certificates for completing the Offender Workforce Development Specialist Partnership Training. The participants included representatives for community-based agencies along probation officers from counties throughout the state. We extend our congratulations to the class graduates!

View Video
Format: aspx
Duration: 1:26

Capitol Hill lawmakers discuss ex-offenders in the federal workforce

2008-06-12T18:19:00Z

According to governmentexecutive.com:

"The government should do more to assure individuals with criminal records that they are not barred from certain types of federal employment, lawmakers said on Tuesday.

At a hearing before the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on the Federal Workforce, members of Congress said hiring ex-offenders could help many of them as they re-enter communities and also help government as it addresses impending staff shortages."

Read the full article right here.

Download and read each testimony by going here.

FBI: Violent crime decreases

2008-06-09T15:02:00Z

According to the FBI:

Violent crime dropped 1.4 percent overall compared to 2006, reversing a two-year up tick. That includes decreases in all four offense categories-forcible rape (down 4.3 percent), murder/non-negligent manslaughter (down 2.7 percent), and robbery and aggravated assault (each down 1.2 percent).

Property crime declined 2.1 percent from 2006, with decreases in each city grouping. Arson-tracked separately from other property crimes-also fell 7.0 percent from 2006.

Read the full article here.

You can download excel data sets and view how your region/state/city did on this page.

Penn Researcher Finds High Recidivism Rate Is Due to Few Transitional Services for Ex-Offenders

2008-06-06T16:39:00Z

According to www.upenn.edu, "Penn researchers found that the existing human-service organizations all had the capacity to serve more clients, and were willing to do so, but more coordination between the re-entry services needs to be established in order to better serve the ex-prisoner population."

To read the full article, click here.