*CONNECTING WITH OFFENDERS AND

GROWING COMMUNITIES

TOGETHER

• 2 in 5 prison and jail inmates lack a high school diploma or its equivalent.

• Employment rates and earnings histories of people in prisons and jails are often low before incarceration

• Large, three-state recidivism study found that

less than half of released prisoners had secured a job upon their return to the community (The Council of State Governments Justice Center website, n.d.).

Previous methods used in Career Center with offenders

• Give packet of info & list of employers who hire

• Limited employment opportunities—during high unemployment, offenders last to be hired

New Ways of Thinking & Best Practices

• Simply placing into employment not silver bullet for reducing criminal behavior• Must address antisocial attitudes and

beliefs associated with crime• 8 criminogenic factors identified in

research• Gender specific factors for females

Risk Screeners and Assessments

• Transition Application• Alcohol screeners• Substance Abuse Screeners• Mental Health Screeners• Proxy Triage—current age, age

at first arrest, number of prior offenses

Interventions

• Screeners identify level of risk• Intervention for each risk factor• Cognitive Behavior Strategies

• Thinking for Change• Parenting classes• Relationship counseling• Testing for learning disabilities• High School Equivalency Prep

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMD0XtQqfkg

Interventions & Strategies

• Self-Efficacy—Enhances clients’ belief to achieve results (“I think I can”)

• Motivational Interviewing (M.I.)• Emphasizes client’s role in

change• Evokes change talk

Interventions & Strategies

• Self-Efficacy—Enhances clients’ belief to achieve results (“I think I can”)

• Movie The Help (You is kind, you is smart, you is important)– (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H50llsHm3k)

• Motivational Interviewing (M.I.)• Emphasizes client’s role in

change• Evokes change talk

Sample Motivational Interviewing Questions

1. What would you like to see change in your life?

2. On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 1 the worst & 10 the best), where are you with that change?

3. Why are you at 3 instead of 2?4. So you are at 3? What would you

have to do to get to 4?

M.I. and Solution-focused techniques

• One small change• Coping questions• Exception questions• Miracle questions• Task Assignments

More Interventions

• Positive Psychology

• Parenting classes

• Family/relationship counseling

• Leisure—Chess, serving others

• Celebrate Recovery, A.A.,N.A.

Helping Offenders with Job Search—3 most important things

1. Help them in filling out application & explaining offense

2. Letter of explanation

3. Help them in explaining offense in interview

Tools to Use with Employers

• EEO Policies• WOTC• Federal Bonding• Certificate of Employability• On the Job Training• Work Release

Referenceshttp://csgjusticecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Final.Reentry-and-Employment.pp_.pdf

http://www1.eeoc.gov//laws/guidance/qa_arrest_conviction.cfm?renderforprint=1

http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=HB1109&GA=108

http://www.integration.samhsa.gov/clinical-practice/sbirt/NIAAA_3_question_Screen.pdf

Motivational Interviewing: http://www.nova.edu/gsc/forms/mi_rationale_techniques.pdf

Thinking for Change online curriculum: http://static.nicic.gov/Library/025057/default.html

Contact Info:elaine.newcomb@sctworkforce.org

suzy.pruitt@sctworkforce.org