Employing Residents in High-Demand Careers: Supporting Returning Citizens
As formerly incarcerated individuals re-enter society, the ability to obtain and retain stable and well-paying employment is a crucial component of successful reintegration. The typical barriers to accessing good jobs — difficulty accessing skills development, job placement, or wraparound support like childcare and transportation — can be particularly impenetrable for returning citizens. With the largest correctional population in the world, the United States is in critical need of strategies to end mass incarceration. Progress will require states and local jurisdictions to redesign meaningful rehabilitation and reentry programs to reduce high rates of recidivism and improve employment outcomes. If successful, these jurisdictions will increase the likelihood of returning citizens receiving the support they need as they become valuable contributors to their communities and local economies.
The purpose of this playbook is to provide government policymakers and planners with effective programs that can help redesign the reentry process for returning citizens to emphasize access to good jobs — leading to safer communities and more inclusive economies. As state and local governments consider their options for spending American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds, they should consider “community-driven public safety investments.” These investments direct public resources to organizations serving the community to support initiatives focused on helping returning citizens reintegrate into society through job training and employment support.
The policy outlined in this playbook is modeled off of Colorado’s Work and Gain Education and Employment Skills (WAGEES) program, This initiative sets aside resources for grants to organizations that work in the community providing direct support services to formerly incarcerated people navigating the reentry process, boosting their job placement, wages, and retention rates and reducing recidivism.
