In California during the next two years almost forty thousand prisoners will be set free by court order. Legal action has been taken to reduce the massive overcrowding in the California prison system. With release and reentry comes the need for unemployment, but according to a report offered by the law school at the University of California, Berkeley, of those released, sixty to eighty percent will not be able to find a job during their first year back in their communities.
The law school’s Berkeley Center for Criminal Justice, under executive director Andrea Russi, and director Sarah Lawrence, sought to compile the most successful ideas for obtaining employment from law enforcement and union groups, government and community reentry agencies, and colleges and other institutions or agencies in the field of education. California has a twenty percent higher recidivism rate than any other state, which can be attributed to its high unemployment rate. Being employed, the report concludes, will lower the recidivism rate and enrich communities.
The path to employment in the community should begin before a prison sentence, according to the report. But since many ex offenders have not had the opportunity to obtain steady, and legal, employment, developing soft skills such as punctuality, being responsible, and communicating properly and effectively should begin while in prison. While in prison, the report adds, inmates should be taught marketable skills, such as those found in the construction and automotive repair fields. The report suggests that educational and vocational programs should be expanded, as throughout the U.S. prison system only a fraction of eligible inmates are afforded the opportunity to attend these types of classes, and thousands of others must be put on a waiting list.
Further recommendations found in the report include:
Monitoring and tracking state-funded programs in the educational and
vocational areas to ensure the programs are effective.
Networking to find or create jobs in growing industries.
Making sure that the educational and vocational programs being
taught are appropriate for the area in which the inmates will return.
Promoting the hiring of formerly incarcerated persons by educating employers on any available incentives being offered, and supporting
fair employment practices
Making sure information obtained in background checks is accurate,and those permitted to do such screening follow the guidelines or face prosecution.
To view the full report,Reaching a Higher Ground: Increasing Employment Opportunities for People with Prior Convictions, Please go to the Library section of http://www.reentrycentral.org
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