NCJ Number
182021
Journal
CTM - Corrections Technology & Management Volume: 4 Issue: 2 Dated: March /April 2000 Pages: 56-58
Date Published
March 2000
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article describes programs that prepare inmates for jobs after they are released from prison.
Abstract
Some inmates have not had a job in years, perhaps never. They do not know how to fill out a job application, are not familiar with the concept of appropriate job-hunting attire and may have never participated in a normal handshake. Lifeskills is a program that assists in employment and job training for special needs populations, including prison inmates; family assistance for low-income groups; community economic development; community corrections; and youth development and education. The program is run by the Corporation for Public Management, which allows selected inmates from the Stony Brook Correctional Center in Ludlow, MA, the choice of wearing an electronic bracelet; living at home; or traveling daily from jail into nearby Springfield, MA, for 3 weeks of job-coaching preparation followed by the actual application for a job. The 3 intensive weeks are spent role-playing, in which the point of view of others is stressed. Other programs first prepare inmates for a part-time job, adding a half-day schooling program and a stipend to offset the “out-of-pocket” expenses of daily living.