Blog: Promoting Opportunity During #ReentryWeek

Statement

In America, we believe in second chances. We don't kick people to the curb for making a bad decision. We offer a hand up so they can get back on their feet.

That's the principle behind our efforts, at the Labor Department and throughout the federal government, to help people involved in the criminal justice system get the skills they need for a good job.

In my travels, I've met with people who've gotten on the wrong side of the law but are eager to put their lives back together. They just need a chance to get back in the game. Scott Farina, a former inmate who served time at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility in Eagleville, Pennsylvania, said he tries to live each day better than the day before. And he was prepared to go back to work when his term ended because of employment services he took advantage of "behind the fence," thanks in part to a Labor Department grant.

"It's an honor to be recognized instead of always being called names," said one current inmate who is participating in the same program. "It's an honor to be looked at as someone other than a criminal."

To highlight the importance of the work we're doing on behalf of Scott and so many others, the Department of Justice has declared April 24-30 the first National Reentry Week. It's a chance to build on what we already know: Reentry programs build strong families, safe communities and vibrant local economies.

National Reentry Week includes a host of events at correctional facilities across the country: job fairs, practice interviews, mentorship opportunities, employer roundtables, best practice discussions and more. There has been overwhelming support and interest, with more than 300 events scheduled across the country, including a celebration of the 50 anniversary of our Federal Bonding Program on Friday at 1 p.m. ET. Since 1966, the program has provided fidelity bonds to employers as an incentive to hire formerly incarcerated individuals and other difficult-to-insure job seekers. The bonds provide added security for employers while opening up employment opportunities for these job seekers.

We're also using this week to highlight several important reentry grants and initiatives, such as our Linking to Employment Activities Pre-Release (LEAP) grants, which provide incarcerated individuals like Scott Farina with workforce services before their release. It's a successful model we pioneered in Montgomery County, Maryland, when I was an elected official there, and now we are taking that best practice to communities around the country, with a $10 million investment last year and $5 million more to come this year.

Our Training to Work grants help people 18 or older who are participating in state and local work-release programs get important skills for credentials and job opportunities. We're also working with the Department of Justice to develop a clearinghouse that will provide (among other things) state-by-state information on legal services that can help remove employment barriers for people with juvenile and criminal records.

If you've been to prison and paid your debt to society, you shouldn't have to face the additional struggle of a dead-end job search. We believe reentry programs put people on a path to success and self-sufficiency. And we believe steady work is the best anti-recidivism strategy. During National Reentry Week, we reaffirm that successful reentry doesn't just empower those who have been incarcerated; it strengthens our entire nation.

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