General Program Structure
Recruitment process includes:
• Recruitment in prisons immediately prior to release. Partnerships with correctional institutions and detention centers provide access to returning citizens nearing release to enable recruitment on the inside.
• We also use the prison ministries of faith-based partners to recruit returning citizens as well. Other non-standard recruitment tools will be utilizing faith-based partners and conducting outreach through announcements during worship services; flyers distribution in the community, radio broadcast and newspaper advertisements promoting our programs.
• We recruit from within affected communities with returning citizens who have been released. In addition to partnerships with local parole officers.
• We also use word of mouth and referrals from ex-offenders who successfully completed our program and provides success stories to other ex-offenders on their successful reentry into his/her community.
Intake
During the intake process, participants are assigned to an individual case manager. Following the initial assessment, case managers develop a plan for each participant to ensure a structured transition. Thereafter, participants go through a day-long orientation, including an overview of the program, individual education and skills assessments and soft-skills development workshops. Based on each individual’s situation, the plan might include additional services not offered in the standard program, such as drug or alcohol treatment, referrals for transitional housing and/or childcare etc.
Case Management
We will perform intake and case management at neighborhood-based locations or partnering faith-based organizations throughout the area. Based on demand and grant funding in the future we will look to secure a headquarters location where we can offer the services in-house.
Job Training
Participants will then begin job-readiness training which covers resume writing, interviewing, computer skills and other soft skills for workplace success. During this training, case managers (or Employer Recruitment Specialist) ensure that each participant has the necessary identification (e.g., state-issued photo ID, Social Security card, driver’s license and birth certificate) for employment. Job-readiness training is a very significant service offered in a reentry program. Initially training will be done at neighborhood-based libraries and faith-based organizations throughout the area using volunteers and through referrals. Job-readiness will take the form of soft and hard skills training. Hard skills, such as those provided through a CDL training program will be made accessible through partnerships with employers and educational institutions.
