Advocacy and Education:

 

1. Building Blocks for Youth: www.buildingblocksforyouth.org
2. Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services  (CASES): www.cases.org
3. Center for Community Alternatives: www.communityalternatives.org
4. Center for Employment Opportunities: www.ceoworks.org
5. Community Service Society of New York: www.cssny.org
6. The Doe Fund: www.doe.org
7. Fight Crime, Invest in Kids: www.fightcrime.org
8. The Fortune Society, David Rothenberg Center for Public Policy:  www.fortunesociety.org/04_advocacy/rothenberg.html
9. Job Opportunities Task Force: www.jotf.org
10. Legal Action Center: www.lac.org
11. National H.I.R.E. Network: www.hirenetwork.org
12. The Osborne Association: www.osborneny.org
13. Reentry Net: www.reentry.net
14. The Sentencing Project: www.sentencingproject.org

 

 

Coalitions/Associations:

 

1. American Bar Association, Commission on Effective Criminal Sanctions: www.abanet.org/dch/committee.cfm?com=CR209800
2. American Civil Liberties Union: www.aclu.org
3. American Probation and Parole Association: www.appa-net.org
4. National Association of Counties: www.naco.org
5. National League of Cities: www.nlc.org
6. PastForward: www.pastforwardmd.org
7. The United States Conference of Mayors: www.usmayors.org
8. Women’s Prison Association: www.wpaonline.org

 

 

Community Mapping Resources:

 

1. National Institute of Justice, Mapping and Analysis for Public Safety Program: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/maps
2. The Police Foundation’s Publication, Mapping for Community-Based Prisoner Reentry Efforts: http://www.policefoundation.org/pdf/mappingreentryguidebook.pdf
3. Urban Institute, The Reentry Mapping Network: www.urban.org/projects/reentry-mapping/index.cfm

 

 

 

Local Government and Community Resources:

 

For more information about the cities and community-based organizations whose programs and reentry efforts were featured in the publication:

 

Baltimore, MD:

 

Website: www.ci.baltimore.md.us/government/mocj

 

Contact: Jean Lewis, Deputy Director

Mayor’s Office on Criminal Justice

100 Holliday Street

Baltimore, MD 21202

 

Boston, MA:

 

Website: www.cityofboston.gov/bra/yoboston

 

Contact: Conny Doty, Director

Mayor’s Office of Jobs and Community Service

43 Hawkins Street

Boston, MA 02114

 

Chicago, IL:

 

Website: www.cityofchicago.org

Contact: Evelyn Diaz, Deputy Chief of Staff, Human Capital

City of Chicago, Office of the Mayor

City Hall, Rm. 509

121 North LaSalle Street

Chicago, IL 60602

 

Cleveland, OH:

 

Website: www.city.cleveland.oh.us/government/departments/econdev/wfdev/wfind.html

 

Contact: George Smith, Project Director

City of Cleveland Division of Workforce Development

1020 Bolivar Avenue

Cleveland, OH 44115

 

Hartford, CT:

 

Website: www.ctpuertoricanforum.org

 

Contact: Lou Paturzo

Connecticut Puerto Rican Forum

95 Park Street, 2nd Floor

Hartford, CT 06106

50 From Options to Action: A Roadmap for City Leaders to Connect Formerly Incarcerated Individuals to Work

 

New Haven, CT:

 

Website: www.cityofnewhaven.com/CommunityServices

 

Contact: Kica Matos, Community Services Administrator

City Hall

165 Church Street

New Haven, CT 06510

 

New York, NY:

 

Websites:

Department of Correction: www.nyc.gov/doc

Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: www.nyc.gov/health

Office of the Mayor: www.nyc.gov/mayor

Department of Small Business Services: www.nyc.gov/sbs

Department of Youth and Community Development: www.nyc.gov/dycd

 

For more information on the New York City Discharge Planning Collaboration, email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 

Ohio:

I. Ohio Department of Job and Family Services

Contact:
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
30 E. Broad St., 32nd Floor
Columbus, OH 43215

614-466-6282 phone
614-466-2815 fax

Web Site: www.state.oh.us/odjfs/index.stm

Information about State Department of Labor resources may be of interest to:
• potential employers looking for incentives to hire individuals with criminal histories;
• service providers and individuals with criminal histories who are looking for assistance in finding employment; and
• researchers and policy makers looking at current programs to ascertain what programs are effective and serve their intended purpose.

 

A.    Federal Bonding Program

The Federal Bonding Program provides fidelity bonding insurance coverage to individuals with criminal histories and other high-risk job applicants who are qualified, but fail to get jobs because regular commercial bonding is denied due to their backgrounds.

Contact:
Bureau of Quality and Community Partnerships
Ohio Department of Rehab. & Correction
1050 Freeway Drive North
Columbus, OH 43229

614-728-1534 phone
614-995-0128 fax

 

B.  Tax Credits

The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a federal tax credit to reduce the federal tax liability of private for profit employers to be used as an incentive for employers to hire individuals from eight different targeted groups: TANF recipients, veterans, ex-felons, high risk youth, summer youth, Food Stamp recipients, SSI recipients, and vocational rehabilitation referrals.

Contact:
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
Bureau of Tax Credits - WOTC/WtW Unit
145 South Front St., 2nd Floor
Columbus, OH 43215

614-644-7206 phone
614-644-7102 fax

Web Site: www.state.oh.us/odjfs/wotc/contact.stm

 

C. Unemployment Insurance Office

Unemployment compensation is a social insurance program designed to provide benefits to most individuals out of work, generally through no fault of their own, for periods between jobs. In order to be eligible for benefits, jobless workers must demonstrate that they have worked, usually measured by amount of wages and/or weeks of work, and must be able and available for work.

The unemployment compensation program is based upon federal law, but administered by states under state law.

Applicants can register by phone at 877-644-6562 (1-877-OHIO JOB). Information about local offices can be found at: www.state.oh.us/odjfs/onestop. (See also Section VII of this site “Local Service Providers.”)

Contact:
Bureau of Unemployment Compensation
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
P.O. Box 923
Columbus, OH 43216

800-251-6237 phone
614-466-6873 fax

Web Site: www.state.oh.us/odjfs/ouc

 

II. Criminal Record Repository

This is the agency individuals may contact to obtain a copy of their state rap sheet and learn about the process of sealing, expunging or cleaning it up. The criminal record repository can also tell the individual who else is legally entitled to have access to his or her record.

A civilian fingerprint card must be requested from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation. This form/fingerprint card also contains a waiver that must be signed by the person whose criminal record is being requested. A certified check or money order for $15 payable to “Treasurer, State of Ohio” must accompany the request card.

Contact:
Identification Division
Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification & Investigation
1560 State Route 56 SW
P.O. Box 365
London, OH 43140

740-845-2000 phone
740-845-2633 fax

Web Site: www.ag.state.oh.us/bci/bcii.htm

 

III. State Attorney General

Employers and service providers may obtain information from the state attorney general regarding occupational bars, the licensing of individuals with criminal records in certain jobs, and whether the state has laws that limit what employers may ask job applicants or protections against employment discrimination based on a criminal record.

Contact:
Office of the Attorney General
State Office Tower
30 E. Broad St., 17th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215

614-466-4320

Web Site: www.ag.state.oh.us/default.asp

 

IV. State Department of Corrections

 

1.      Ohio Penal Industries

Ohio Penal Industries (OPI) is aimed at preparing prisoners for life after incarceration by providing industrial training and instilling positive work habits. Inmates receive rehabilitative training and personal development skills. Prisoners manufacture and assemble a variety of products and provide a variety of office and business services. OPI's primary markets are governmental agencies and institutions. Studies show that these programs have a positive effect on the participants, reducing recidivism by 17.7 percent.

Contact:
Ohio Penal Industries Design Center
1221 McKinley Ave.
Columbus, OH 43222

800-237-3454 phone
614-752-0302 fax

Web Site: www.opi.state.oh.us

 

2.      Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction

All adults convicted of felonies for which the statutory minimum is at least six months enter the state's prison system, which is under the supervision of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC). At the time of intake, incarcerated individuals with sentences of three years or less develop a “Reentry Accountability Plan”which will enable participation in needed educational, vocational or treatment programs. Subsequent evaluations record individual progress during incarceration. Individuals complete a discharge planning and employment readiness checklist 180 days prior to discharge. Attendance at release preparation workshops is required. Workshops focus on issues such as obtaining identification, resume preparation, social skills and information about community resources, including substance abuse treatment. A videoconference allowing potential employers to interview inmates for job positions is held within 30 days of release.

Contact:
Ohio Institute on Correctional Best Practices
P.O. Box 69
London, OH 43140

740-852-2454 ext 1091
740-852-3166 fax

Web Site: www.drc.state.oh.us

 

3.      The Bureau of Community Sanctions, ODRC

The Bureau of Community Sanctions (BCS) is responsible for providing guidance and oversight to ODRC-funded halfway houses, community-based correctional facilities, and jail and prison diversion programs; reviewing and approving grant applications for community corrections funding; auditing all ODRC-funded programs to ensure compliance with minimum standards of operation; providing technical assistance and training for ODRC-funded programs; and recognizing outstanding achievement within ODRC-funded programs. BCS-supervised halfway houses are community residential programs that provide supervision and treatment services for people released from state prisons or referred by Courts of Common Pleas. Halfway houses are a vital component of Ohio's criminal justice system providing services such as drug and alcohol treatment, day reporting, electronic monitoring, job placement, educational programs and specialized programs for sex offenders. Community-based correctional facilities (CBCFs) are residential programs that provide comprehensive programming for people on felony probation. CBCFs provide a wide range of programming addressing such needs as substance abuse, education, employment, and family relationships.

Contact:
Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction
Division of Parole & Community Services
Bureau of Community Sanctions
1030 Alum Creek Drive
Columbus, OH 43209

614-752-1188 phone
614-728-9946 fax

Web Site: www.drc.state.oh.us/web/bcs.htm

 

V.  Adult Parole Authority

The Adult Parole Authority (APA) is a section of the Division of Parole and Community Services that collaborates with the ODRC institutions to continue efforts for offender employment. With the help of the Offender Job Linkage Administrators from the ODRC, the Adult Parole Authority staff facilitates interviews between employers and offenders in the parole offices.

Contact:
Division of Parole & Community Services
Adult Parole Authority
1050 Freeway Drive North
Columbus, OH 43229

614-752-1258 phone
614-752-1251 fax

Web Site: www.drc.state.oh.us/web/apa.htm

Contact:
Division of Parole and Community Services
Offender Services Network
1050 Freeway Drive, North
Columbus, OH 43229

614-995-3588
            614-752-1289 fax

 

VI. Legal Assistance

Free or low-cost legal resources, both in civil and criminal law, are helpful to individuals with criminal histories in learning about relevant state laws governing the expungement or sealing of criminal histories or addressing other legal issues resulting from having a criminal history.

 

A. State Public Defender

Contact:
Office of the Ohio Public Defender
8 East Long St., 11th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
614-466-5394 or  800-686-1573

Web Site: www.state.oh.us/opd

 

B. Legal Services

1.      This web site has a complete list of free and low-cost service providers in Ohio. Information about local services is available at www.oslsa.org/OSLSA/PublicWeb/LegalSvcs.

Contact:
Ohio State Legal Services Association
555 Buttles Ave.
Columbus, OH 43215

614-221-7201 or 800-589-5888
614-221-7625 fax

Web Site: www.oslsa.org

 

2.      Christian Legal Services (CLS) provides a wide variety of civil legal services to the poor and homeless. Clients must meet similar financial requirements as Legal Aid. Because it is an independent provider, the organization is also able to help those whom Legal Aid is unable to serve, including illegal immigrants and those currently incarcerated. CLS has recently begun a partnership with Community Reentry, a local service provider, to help clients examine their criminal records. This service is available to anyone, not only Community Reentry clients.

Contact:
Christian Legal Services of Cleveland, Inc.
1836 Euclid Ave., Suite 303
Cleveland, OH 44115
216-574-2593 legal intake, 216-621-4554 executive director
216-621-4555 fax

E-Mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

3.      The Ohio Justice and Policy Center (OJPC) is a non-partisan, nonprofit, public interest law office based in Cincinnati, Ohio. OJPC works statewide for fair-minded, progressive reform of Ohio's justice system.

Contact:
Ohio Justice and Policy Center
617 Vine Street, Suite 1309
Cincinnati, OH 45202

513-421-1108
513-562-3200 fax

E-Mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Web Site: www.ohiojpc.org

 

C. State Bar Association

Contact:
Ohio State Bar Association
1700 Lake Shore Drive
Columbus, OH 43204

800-282-6556

614-487-2050 Franklin County
614-487-1008 fax

E-Mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Web Site: www.ohiobar.org

 

VII. Local Service Providers

Community agencies are available to assist individuals with criminal records find employment. This information will inform individuals with criminal records about government agencies and community-based organizations that assist with employment, education or vocational training. Researchers and policy makers may find this information useful in identifying agencies and service providers in order to evaluate the effectiveness of these programs.

1.      Community Connections

Community Connections focuses on helping recently released inmates prepare for and find employment. Case managers begin by ascertaining and addressing basic needs, including transportation, housing, and identification that might create barriers in allowing participants to find or maintain employment. They then carry out an in-house employment assessment which is used both to identify training needs and as a marketing tool to help market participants to employers by providing them with a full source of information. Participants are offered five different workshops, which teach such skills as resume writing, completing job applications, and answering difficult interview questions. Other services include classes, support groups, assistance with medical issues and bus passes, a computer GED tutorial, which participants can use by themselves, and a clothing closet to provide participants with clothing for interviews, as well as referrals to other resources in the community. The organization continues working with participants until they are placed in jobs and case managers will continue to track them for at least six months after placement in case problems arise. Additionally, the organization has both a men’s and a women’s group at the county jail, which meet twice a week for four weeks to explore issues such as self-esteem. There is also another program at the work release facility which meets twice a month to begin linking with inmates who do not have jobs.

Contact:
Community Connections
993 East Main St.
Columbus, OH 43205
614-252-0660, ext. 73 or 888-993-6246, ext. 73
614-252-0158 fax

Web Site: www.communityconnectionohio.com

 

2.      Community Linkage

Community Linkage’s program provides most of the same services as Community Connections. Its main focus is on assisting anyone returning to the Hamilton area in finding employment, while simultaneously providing social services to try to meet the individual’s other needs, including shelter, food, transportation, identification, and other barriers that might prevent the individual from finding or keeping employment. The program also offers employment readiness and life skills classes.

Contact:
Community Linkage
116 South 2nd St.
Hamilton, OH 48011

513-785-5746
            513-785-5728 fax

 

3.      Goodwill Industries

Goodwill Industries of Cleveland, Inc. has a Post-Release Service Center which offers individualized services to help clients overcome personal barriers to employment, including assistance with substance abuse, anger management, financial management, job seeking, clothing, housing, and food. Each client undergoes an initial evaluation upon intake to identify individual needs. Goodwill has a database of employers with whom it has long relationships, who know that all clients have criminal records and who let the organization know when they have possible openings. Staff then alert their clients to the opening, select a group to send over for interviews, and send a member of staff as support. Goodwill asks that clients remain a minimum of 30 days in a placement, so that they can get familiar with a job and the requirements of the working environment. Additionally, clients are followed for a year after placement in case any problems arise, and the organization has an open-door policy for former clients. Individuals with three failed placements are reevaluated and the process begins again.

Contact:
Goodwill Industries of Greater Cleveland, Inc.
2295 E. 55th St.
Cleveland, OH 44103

216-431-8300 ext 282
216-431-4504 fax

Web Site: www.goodwil-cleveland.org

4.      Community Reentry

Community Reentry oversees 16 programs, each targeted towards assisting different populations in preparing for and finding employment following release from incarceration. Services include job placement and readiness and case management. Clients are also referred to assistance with emergency housing, job training, and substance abuse problems.

Contact:
Community Reentry
1468 West 25th St.
Cleveland, OH 44113

216-696-2717

5.      Women's Re-Entry Network

The Women’s Re-Entry Network is a program within Community Reentry that focuses entirely on women with criminal records. Services include assessment, intensive case management, individual and group counseling, and parenting classes. The Network also offers information and referrals for housing, employment and other needs. It has offices in the county jail and local women’s prison offering support groups and case management. The Network acts as a bridge to services on the outside for women who are being released.

Contact:
Women's Re-Entry Network
1468 West 25th St.
Cleveland, OH 44113

216-696-7535
216-696-7317 fax

6.      Towards Employment

Toward Employment supports individuals in making the transition into the work place. In addition to supportive services, the agency offers job readiness and life skills workshops, GED preparation, and computer skills instruction. Job placement and job retention support is also offered to participants. Towards Employment has offered its services to low-income individuals and recently assumed management and delivery of the “Ex-offenders and Legal Services” programs formerly offered by Cleveland Works.

Contact:
Towards Employment
1224 Huron Rd., 2nd Fl.
Cleveland, OH 44115

216-696-5750
216-696-5119 fax

Web Site: www.towardsemployment.org

 

7.      AGAPE/Community Reentry Program

The Community Reentry Program is an outgrowth of the AGAPE prison ministries program. Both programs are part of Christians in the Hood, a faith-based organization. Transition planning begins during incarceration focusing on developing life plans and identifying goals and issues that will be faced upon release. When an individual is released from prison, a needs assessment is done to determine the appropriate level of assistance required. Linkages are made with community agencies to further individual goals. Employment resources, accountability group counseling and educational services are all provided.

Contact:
Agape/Community Reentry Program
1378 Loretta Avenue
Columbus, OH 43211

614 477-4931

 

8.      Transitions Program/Akron Urban League

The Akron Urban League’s Transitions Program assists individuals with non-violent misdemeanors and felony convictions. The program offers job placement assistance and three weeks of job readiness training, including workshops in preparing a resume and increasing interviewing skills.

Contact:
Transitions Program
Akron Urban League
250 E. Market St.
Akron, OH 44308

330-434-3101
330-434-2716 fax

Web Site: www.akronul.org

 

9.      Providing Real Opportunities for Ex-Offenders to Succeed (PROES)

Providing Real Opportunities for Ex-Offenders to Succeed (PROES) is a project of the Cleveland One-Stop Career Center. The program focuses on immediate employment augmented with support services. PROES works in conjunction with the Employment Solutions Program of Alternatives Agency Inc., a halfway house for formerly incarcerated individuals. The intensive two-week program includes life skills training, communication skills, and job readiness preparation.

Contact:
Employment Connection
1020 Bolivar Road
Cleveland, OH 44115

216-664-4673
216-664-2981 fax

 

10.  Solid Opportunities for Advancement and Retention

Solid Opportunities for Advancement and Retention (SOAR), a project of the Greater Cincinnati Urban League, provides a combination of short-term education and training services with job placement assistance for African-American and Appalachian males and females. This six-week pre-employment training provides job readiness skills for people who may have employment barriers due to lack of work experience, lack of education/training, or criminal backgrounds. The project accepts walk-in applicants.

Contact:
SOAR Program
Greater Cincinnati Urban League
3458 Reading Road
Cincinnati, OH 45229

513-281-9955 phone
513-281-0466 fax

Web Site: www.gcul.org

 

 Washington, DC:

 

Website: www.dc.gov/agencies

 

Contact: Rodney C. Mitchell, Esq., Acting Executive Director

Office on Ex-Offender Affairs

2100 Martin Luther King Avenue, SE, Suite 301

Washington, DC 20020

 

 

Federal Government Resources:

 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: www.cdc.gov

National Institutes of Health: www.nih.gov

US Department of Justice: www.usdoj.gov

US Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs

US Department of Labor, Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives: www.dol.gov/cfbci/reentry.htm

 

P/PV collaborated on the creation of two publications available on the DOL website: Ready4Reentry: A Prisoner

Reentry Toolkit: http://www.dol.gov/cfbci/PRItoolkit.pdf

 

And Mentoring Ex-Prisoners: A Guide for Reentry Programs, which P/PV authored: http://www.dol.gov/cfbci/20071101Mentoring.pdf

 

 

Media and Marketing Resources:

 

1. Center for Social Media: www.centerforsocialmedia.org
2. Corrections Community Blog: http://community.nicic.org
3. Human Media: www.humanmedia.org
4. Reentry National Media Outreach Campaign: www.reentrymediaoutreach.org
5. 360 Degrees: www.360degrees.org

 

 

Research and Policy Resources:

 

1. Center for Law and Social Policy: www.clasp.org
2. Center for NuLeadership on Urban Solutions: www.mec.cuny.edu/spcd/caddi/nuleadership.asp
3. Council of State Governments, Justice Center: www.justicecenter.csg.org
4. Criminal Justice Policy Foundation: www.cjpf.org
5. John Jay College of Criminal Justice: www.jjay.cuny.edu
6. Johns Hopkins University, Sar Levitan Center for Social Policy Studies: www.levitan.org
7. Justice Policy Institute: www.justicepolicy.org
8. Manhattan Institute for Policy Research: www.manhattan-institute.org
9. MDRC: www.mdrc.org
10. National Institute of Corrections: www.nicic.org
11. New Jersey Institute for Social Justice: www.njisj.org
12. New York University-Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service: wagner.nyu.edu
13. Open Society Institute: www.soros.org
14. Public/Private Ventures: www.ppv.org
15. The RAND Corporation: www.rand.org
16. Urban Institute, Justice Policy Center: www.urban.org/center/jpc/index.cfm
17. Vera Institute of Justice: www.vera.org

 

 

Service Providers:

 

The Reentry Resource Map provides a listing of federal reentry resources, along with a directory of reentry service providers

by state. Service providers are listed according to the target population that they serve: www.reentryresources.ncjrs.gov

 

The National H.I.R.E. Network also provides a directory of “state-specific governmental agencies and community-based organizations to assist people with criminal records, practitioners, researchers, and policy makers”: www.hirenetwork.org/resource.html

From Options to Action: Appendix Reentry Resources 51

 

 

 Resources from Public/Private Ventures

 

Please visit www.ppv.org  for more information on the following publications:

 

Building from the Ground Up: Creating Effective Programs to Mentor Children of Prisoners, The Amachi Model (2005)	Call to Action: How Programs in Three Cities Responded to the Prisoner Reentry Crisis (2007)
Drawing from P/PV’s five years of hands-on experience designing and implementing Amachi programs around the country, this report describes best practices for planning, developing and managing a mentoring-children-of-prisoners program.	This report chronicles how individuals, community organizations, faith institutions, businesses and officials mobilized to build partnerships to address escalating numbers of ex-prisoners returning to their communities. The three cities highlighted in this report, Jacksonville, FL; Memphis, TN ; and Washington, DC, were pioneers in responding to the nation’s prisoner reentry crisis. They developed impressive programs and eventually joined P/PV’s Ready4Work initiative.
Going to Work with a Criminal Record (forthcoming)	Good Stories Aren’t Enough: Becoming Outcomes- Driven in Workforce Development (2006)
Based on the experience of organizations that took part in the Fathers at Work initiative, this report offers fundamental lessons on connecting people with criminal records to appropriate jobs and employers, as well as tools to organize these efforts. Designed for workforce development programs that may have limited experience serving this population, the guide outlines how to avoid mistakes and how to develop important relationships, including with employers, parole officers and the local child support enforcement agency.	Workforce development organizations are more and more focused on achieving and documenting performance outcomes.  Yet managers frequently face a challenge getting buy-in from frontline staff about collecting and using data—not only to satisfy funders’ needs but to improve services.  This report identifies practical, hands-on strategies to increase staff involvement and communication around data.
Here to Stay: Tips and Tools to Hire, Retain and Advance Hourly-Wage Workers (2007)	Just Out: Early Lessons from the Ready4Work Prisoner Reentry Initiative (2006)
Aimed at owners of small and medium-sized businesses, human resources staff, managers or shift foremen, and workforce development organizations, Here to Stay offers a series of cost-effective actions for retaining low-wage workers, including hiring the right people, welcoming them, retaining them and developing their talents for the company’s benefit.	This report examines the early implementation of Ready4Work and reports on emerging best practices in four key program areas. While P/PV provided the basic program design to the 17 lead organizations participating in the project, each site was given creative latitude to build programs unique to their own organizations, resources, partnerships and missions. Through this work, many innovative and promising approaches to effective  prisoner reentry emerged, as did challenges for which solutions were sought. Just Out offers practical advice about recruitment, case management, mentoring and employment, and documents early lessons in this growing area of study, policy and advocacy.
P/PV Preview: Mentoring Ex-Prisoners in the Ready4Work Reentry Initiative (2007)
This brief presents findings from a forthcoming report on the mentoring component of the Ready4Work prisoner reentry initiative. Participants who met with a mentor remained in the program longer, were twice as likely to obtain a job and were more likely to stay employed than participants who did not meet with a mentor. The report’s authors conclude that while mentoring is not enough, supportive relationships—which can be fostered through mentoring programs—should be considered a core component of any reentry strategy.