Rebuilding Lives. Strengthening Communities.

“The way businesses are successful is
by minimizing risk. If there is an
issue of a potential applicant with a
conviction, that’s sometimes an
additional risk. Most employers
today do a background check, and, if
they find a criminal record, it’s
goodbye. And the social consequence
of that is that any kind of major
conviction now becomes a life
sentence. Even though someone may
have a criminal record, they may
ultimately be a better employee than
someone who doesn’t.”
Willie Cade
President of the Chicago Office, Computers for Schools
MAYORAL POLICY CAUCUS ON PRISONER REENTRY
Solution
Transitional jobs programs have proven to be effective
because they provide real work experience to formerly
incarcerated individuals while addressing the personal
issues these individuals face upon their return to society.
In fact, research has shown that intensive transitional jobs
programs are even more successful than traditional
employment and training models. A study by
Mathematica Policy Research found that 81 to 94 percent
of the individuals who completed short-term work assignments
found permanent unsubsidized employment. 94
Transitional jobs provide temporary publicly subsidized
employment that combines real work, skill development,
and supportive services. These programs rapidly place
recently released prisoners into paid work experience
assignments. Coupled with case management, job readiness
and basic training, individuals can gain valuable skills
and experience needed to obtain steady, unsubsidized
employment.
Policymakers realize the benefits of these programs, and
consequently, more public funding has been targeted for
transitional jobs programs to assist hard-to-serve populations
(e.g., individuals with disabilities, mental illnesses,
limited English proficiency, and welfare recipients).
Currently, more than 40 transitional jobs programs operate
in states around the country, including Washington,
Pennsylvania, New York, and Wisconsin. 95
In July 2004, Chicago’s Mayor’s Office of Workforce
Development launched a pilot transitional jobs
program for people with felony backgrounds using
publicly subsidized paid work experience with private
employers. These formerly incarcerated individuals developed
valuable work experience, and even those who were
not immediately hired at the end of the subsidized
employment period had a marketable work history and an
improved understanding of the job search process.
Although Chicago is home to a few emerging programs, a
more ambitious effort is needed and the City should
explore several options for expanding the current pilot.
While transitional jobs programs can be expensive, the
high rate of job retention and the low rate of recidivism
among participants make them a valuable investment.
The City should consider the possibility of using state or
federal government funding for expanding the two current
transitional jobs programs to several sites throughout
Chicago, especially in neighborhoods with a high
concentration of returning prisoners. 96
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