It may not be the sound one would expect to hear in a correctional facility. But on a September weekend the Valley State Prison for Women in Chowchilla, Calif. was filled with laughter, as the inmates learned the art of performing […]
Building boats helps youth offenders build confidence and job skills
An innovative wooden boatbuilding program in Alexandria, Va. helps young people, many of whom have been incarcerated, gain the skills, confidence and knowledge needed to prepare them for employment. Operated by the Alexandria Seaport Foundation, the program offers paid apprenticeships […]
Blackstone helps inmates prepare for a legal career while in prison
Ambitious inmates who want to lay the groundwork for employment after release might want to consider studying a paralegal course. And they won’t be alone. They will join Fabian Ruiz – who we profiled October 31 and who now works […]
Using customer service skills to promote job retention
While looking at the idea of customer service as a means of promoting job retention may on the surface be a rather unusual tactic, it works, according to Sandra Velasquez, vocational services supervisor at the Weingart Center in Los Angeles. […]
Free Minds Book Club opens doors for young ex-offenders
A unique Washington, D.C. nonprofit, Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop, not only inspires young inmates by engaging them through reading and writing. but helps them get their lives together and find employment after being released from prison. For […]
Defy Ventures program graduate launches internet business
Not much more than a year ago Fabian Ruiz was in prison serving 21 years for killing the man who shot his older brother. Today he is an entrepreneur and founder of Infor-nation Corp., a company that provides Internet services […]
Pre-apprenticeship programs offer opportunities to ex-offenders
An apprenticeship in the trades is one of the best ways to enter a well-paying career, but many ex-offenders find it difficult to figure out how to get into apprenticeship programs. It may not be easy, but it can be […]
CareerBuilder surveys employers on their hiring of ex-offenders
Most employers are open to hiring ex-offenders, at least according to a major study from CareerBuilder. In fact, 51 percent of those surveyed reported that their organizations have at one point hired someone with a criminal record. The online survey […]
The Bread Project rises to offer new opportunities to ex-offenders
As one of a growing number of social ventures employing ex-offenders springing up around the nation, the Emeryville, Calif.-based The Bread Project has created a unique program to train low-income people in culinary arts. And the organization recently hired Dale […]
America Works succeeds matching ex-offenders with employers
While many job developers seem to find working with ex-offenders a particular challenge, one company has found a successful niche in outcome-based prison-to-work (and welfare-to-work) programs. With operations in New York City; Chicago; Washington, D.C.; Baltimore; Newark and Mount Laurel, […]