Offender Employment : Federal Probation

From Prison to Work: Overcoming Barriers to Reentry

Scott — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:42:00 GMT

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

Scott — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 21:21:00 GMT

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

Scott — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 21:03:00 GMT

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

Scott — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 15:25:00 GMT

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.

Upcoming OWDS and OES training

Scott — Wed, 28 May 2008 15:12:00 GMT

Upcoming Offender Employment Specialist (OES) Training

July 22 - 24* - Butner, NC. Contact: Zaneta Vaughn, 919-575-3900 ext. 5339, zvaughn@bop.gov

July 29 - 31* - Butner, NC. Contact: Mona Horton, mhorton@bop.gov

August 25 - 27** - Oklahoma City, OK. Contact: Dixie Becktold, 405-609-5810

September 16 - 18** - Howard College, San Angelo, TX. Contact Michael Laughlin, 972-709-6098 ext. 229

September 23 - 25* - Butner, NC. Contact: Mona Horton, mhorton@bop.gov

September 23 - 25* - Hazelton, WV. Contact: Mona Horton, mhorton@bop.gov

*Training provided by the Federal Bureau of Prisons

**Training provided by U.S. Probation

Upcoming Offender Workforce Development Specialist (OWDS) Training

June 16 - 20 and Sept. 15 - 19 - St. Louis, MO. Contact: Pat Doherty, 314-244-6750

OWDS National Partnership Training Update

Scott — Wed, 28 May 2008 13:10:00 GMT

This information was contributed by guest blogger Patricia Doherty who is a Supervising U.S. Probation Officer with the Eastern District of Missouri.

On March 14, 2008, Offender Workforce Development Specialist (OWDS) training was completed in Dublin, California. This training was a national partnership training hosted by the Northern District of California and FCI, Dublin. The 22 participants included staff from the Northern District of California - probation; Central District of California - pretrial; District of Hawaii - pretrial; District of Nevada - pretrial; local residential reentry centers; local one stops; Bureau of Prisons staff from the Western Regional Office, FCI, Dublin and FCI, Atwater; and Santa Clara County Probation Officers. Trainers included Pat Doherty, Scott Anders, and Dean Miller who are all from the ED/MO; Melinda Clark and Matt Elvin form the Bureau of Prisons and John Rakis from the National Institute of Corrections. Congratulations to all of the participants.

On April 18, 2008, Master Trainers Pat Doherty and Dean Miller provided OWDS Instructor Training to the following participants:

Elaine Kost, N.Y.S. Department of Labor; Cynthia O. Mendiola, U. S. Probation, Western District of Texas; Janis R. Lasswell, U.S. Probation, Eastern District of Missouri ; Belinda Marie Ashley, U.S. Probation, Eastern District of Missouri; Zaneta Carol Vaughn, Federal Bureau of Prisons - Federal Medical Center, Butner, North Carolina; Evey Wooten, U. S. Probation Office, Middle District of North Carolina; Benjie Pittman, Federal Bureau of Prisons/ Federal Correctional Center, Yazoo City, Mississippi; Mona Horton, Federal Bureau of Prisons/ Mid-Atlantic Regional Office, Federal Correctional Center, Butner, North Carolina; Tracy Longacre, Federal Bureau of Prisons/ Federal Correctional Institution, Otisville, New York. Congratulations to these new instructors who will now join the national training team.

On May 9, 2008, OWDS training was completed in New York, New York. This training was hosted by the New York Southern District probation and pretrial offices and the Eastern District pretrial office. The 19 participants included staff from the Southern District of New York's probation and pretrial offices, the Eastern District of New York's pretrial office, Western District of New York, District of New Jersey - pretrial, Bureau of Prisons - MCC New York; and the CASH and Hope programs. Trainers included Pat Doherty, Ryan Wilke, Quincy Fountain, all from the Eastern District of Missouri; Scott Albert from Western District of Pennsylvania; Kathy Oakar from the Northern District of Ohio and Pamella Harris and Robert Walsh from the Southern District of New York. Congratulations to all of the participants.

To date, Federal Probation's Eastern District of Missouri has completed 13 OWDS trainings. 214 participants have completed the training and 134 of those were federal probation officers, probation officer assistants, or pretrial officers. The 14th training will be held in St. Louis in June and September.

ARCHS' Community Action Re-Entry Employment System (CARES) Community Partnership

Scott — Tue, 27 May 2008 16:45:00 GMT

The ARCHS' Community Action Re-Entry Employment System (CARES) Community Partnership focuses on job training and lifeskills services for ex-offenders returning to the St. Louis region. Partners of this program include U.S Dept. of Labor, St. Louis Community College, and the Eastern District of Missouri U.S. Probation office. For more information about the ARCH's CARES program, go here and then read the article in the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

"Showing the carrot is more important than showing the stick." - Doug Burris, Federal Probation Chief

Scott — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:15:00 GMT

Go to the kdsk.com website to read a great article on the employment program for Federal Probation's Eastern District of Missouri. Be sure to watch the interviews with Clark Porter, a former offender who has received assistance from this program.

Information about the upcoming Defendant/Offender Workforce Development (DOWD) Conference

Scott — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 12:55:00 GMT

The 2008 Defendant/Offender Workforce Development (DOWD) Conference will take place April 13 - 16 in Cleveland, OH. The National Career Development Association (NCDA) will partner with the US Probation Office - Northern District of Ohio, the National Institute of Corrections, Federal Bureau of Prisons, US Probation Office of Eastern District of Missouri, Offices of Probation and Pre-Trial Services; and the Administrative Office of the US Courts, to host the conference.

Click here for the 2008 DOWD Conference program.

Please visit NCDA's DOWD Conference Webpage for hotel and registration information.

CONFERENCE AT A GLANCE

Sunday, April 13, 2008:
3:00 - 6:00 pm Registration Open & Exhibitor Set Up
4:00 - 6:00 pm OWDS Master Trainers/Instructors Meeting
5:00 - 6:00 pm First timers Session
7:00 - 8:30 pm OWDS Reunion Reception

Monday, April 14, 2008:
8:00 am - 5:00 pm Registration Open & Exhibits Open
9:00 - 11:30 am NIC Sponsored Pre-Conference Workshops (no cost)
12:00 - 2:00 pm Opening Luncheon/Keynote
2:30 - 4:00 pm Presentations Series A
4:20 - 5:50 pm Presentations Series B
6:30 - 8:00 pm Opening Reception

Tuesday, April 15, 2008:
7:30 - 8:30 am Continental Breakfast
7:30 - 5:00 pm Registration Open & Exhibits Open
8:30 - 10:00 am Second Plenary/Keynote
10:30 - 12:00 pm Presentations Series C
12:30 - 2:00 pm Awards Luncheon
2:30 - 4:00 pm Presentations Series D
2:30 - 4:00 pm Tours of Federal Facility
4:00 - 6:00 pm Exhibits Tear Down
6:00 pm Group Night Out (additional cost required)

Wednesday, April 16, 2008:
8:00 - 9:00 am Continental Breakfast
8:00 am - 2:00 pm Registration Open
9:00 - 10:30 am Closing Plenary/Keynote
10:30 am - 12:30 pm Regional Roundtables
1:00 - 5:00 pm Inmate Skills Development System Training for BOP Coordinators

New Webpage Launched in Support of the Offender Employment Specialist (OES) Training.

Scott — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 18:01:00 GMT

A new webpage has been created to support facilitators and participants of the Offender Employment Specialist (OES) training. Please point your browser to www.nicic.org/oes to view the page. Additional resources will be uploaded to the site in the future.

Employment Opportunities with The Federal Judiciary and the Office of Probation and Pretrial Services

Scott — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:56:00 GMT

The Federal Judiciary and the Office of Probation and Pretrial Services is recruiting prisoner reentry professionals to fill its positions nationwide.

For a listing of national opportunities please go to:

http://www.uscourts.gov/employment.html

U.S. Probation Chief Doug Burris (Eastern Missouri) is especially interested in you and how we can together assist the residents of Missouri. For a listing of opportunities go to:

http://www.moep.uscourts.gov/Job%20Opps.htm

Podcast #2 now Online

Scott — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:39:00 GMT

Click here to be directed to the latest podcast from NIC's Offender Workforce Development Division. The podcast features Felix Mata, Program Administrator for US Probation.

Offender Workforce Development in the United States Probation and Pretrial Services Office, Western District of Texas

Scott — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 16:26:00 GMT

Cynthia Mendiola is a supervising U. S. Probation Officer with the United States Probation and Pretrial Services Office in the Western District of Texas. She graduated from NIC's Offender Workforce Development Specialist (OWDS) training held in New Mexico during the Spring of 2007. NIC asked Cynthia to tell us about what her and the Western District of Texas are doing in the area of offender workforce development. Cynthia writes:

"As the point of contact, I have trained a core group of officers on the concepts learned in the OWDS class. Then I and my team have trained all the Probation and Pretrial officers and support staff about the Defendant/Offender Workforce Development Initiative and how their roles fit into this program.

We have scheduled Offender Employment Specialist (OES) training in every division in the Western District of Texas starting with San Antonio, Texas, last week, Austin, Texas in partnership with Travis County Community Corrections this week, Temple, Texas 2nd week in September and Del Rio, Texas third week in September.

El Paso, Texas has partnered with the District of NM and will hold the class in Las Cruces, NM in Oct. 2007. The last OES training will be in Midland, Texas also in October2007.

We are very excited to have made some very productive partnerships as a result of this training. There are so many agencies excited about participating and have complimented us in a job well done.

Thanks to Francina Carter who helped us with the training; as well as Ann Felts out of Bastrop FCI. I have a feeling this is going to be a very important movement in the near
future.

Thanks as always to NIC's programs, research development, and excellent
consultants. I am not a stranger to your work. I have utilized the
programs in the past and they have been excellent and beneficial to the
field."

Cynthia Mendiola
Supervising U. S. Probation Officer

Thanks Cynthia!

Five Questions with Felix Mata

Scott — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 17:43:00 GMT

Courtesy of the National Crime Prevention Council.

Felix Mata, the "go-to" man in Maryland (and the nation) on the issue of reentry, is shifting locales and taking a position with U.S. Probations. He held three critical positions in Maryland, simultaneously, and became a respected resource on the reentry issue. Felix was Baltimore City's Director of Reentry and Juvenile Justice for the Mayor's Office; Project Director for the Reentry Center (ReC) the "one-stop" shop for reentry in

Baltimore City; and the ED of the Governor's Advisory Council on Offender Employment Coordination. We here at the NCPC e-mail discussion group asked if he would share some "exit interview" thoughts with us as he enters into his new challenge.

1) What are you most proud of in your accomplishments in your current positions?

Maryland has always been a leader in a variety of areas, but I can proudly say that both Baltimore and Maryland has done much to lead the nation in prisoner reentry, a) creating the nation's first local government operated prisoner Re-entry Center (ReC), http://www.oedworks.com/exoffender/rec_info_flyer.pdf, serving over 100 ex-prisoners daily in a variety of services, 2) pushing for more proactive policy, i.e. voting rights for ex-offenders, change in expungement laws, and increase funding and training for inmate and reentry programs, and creating new partnerships, i.e. Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Breakfast - celebrating Maryland's businesses who hire the formerly incarcerated. This event was hosted by Mayor Sheila Dixon and attended by over 300 businesses, elected officials and others. Lastly, the amount of funding we have brought to Maryland regarding prisoner reentry issues. Recently, we received $4.8 million to provide gang prevention programming to Baltimore City and will utilize our ex-prison population to assist us in this area.

2) After your years in the position what do you find encouraging about the reentry issue in Baltimore, Maryland, and the country?

The way prisoner reentry has grown! This year Maryland has sponsored the International Association of Reentry (IAR) conference and the National Youth and Adult Female Offender Conference. We have been showcased on 60 Minutes and National Public Radio (NPR) as well as invited to White House Summits on Prisoner Reentry. Lastly, our partnership continues to grow with more city and state agencies coming on board as well as additional community & faith-based organizations working with us.

3) What do you find discouraging?

As always there is never enough funding, services, employment, housing and other to assist our returning prison population. Additionally, the continuous fight we have to do to convince others (not from a large urban populations) that the policies created can actually harm residents in their return to our communities.

4) How many years were you in your present position(s)?

Four great years! I think this is another part of our success as I was able to utilize both state and city resources for many of the reentry services needed.

5) What will you role be in your new position?

I will be a Program Administrator (Prisoner Reentry) for U.S. Probation to work on prisoner reentry programming and policy across the nation and its territories. I will begin working on August 20th, but already have meetings and activities set up for Washington, DC, Los Angeles and Raleigh. I will be based in St. Louis, MO, and will provide assistance locally, but will report to the Administrative Office in Washington, DC.

It is my hope to continue to support prisoner reentry so that everyone may receive a second chance in their communities!