NOTE: The only pilot site for the project
so far is Jacksonville, Florida, where a coalition of faith-based,
community-based, private business, government agencies
and the local workforce board have partnered to operate
to the program. Contact information is provided at the
end of the press release or by making direct contact with
the providers in Jacksonville.
President Bush Is Joined By Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao
and Attorney General John Ashcroft for Discussion on Job
Training Programs for Ex-Offenders
WASHINGTON -- Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao Wednesday
participated in a roundtable discussion President George
W. Bush held at the White House Wednesday June 18th to discuss
private and federal efforts to reduce recidivism and improve
employment outcomes for ex-offenders. The Secretary presented
plans for the Labor Department's Ready4Work Initiative. Also
joining the President's discussion were Attorney General
John Ashcroft;
Charles Colson, founder and chairman of the board of Prison Fellowship
Ministries; and Dr. Byron Johnson, director of the Center for Research
on Religion and Urban Civil Society at the University of Pennsylvania.
Ready4Work is a $22.5 million re-entry workforce development
initiative of the Department of Labor's Employment and Training
Administration and Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
(CFBCI). Through DOL's grantee, Public/Private Ventures,
and national non-profit partners -- Prison Fellowship Ministries,
the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice, and
the National Jobs Partnership -- Ready4Work mobilizes local
coalitions to work together for sustainable ex-offender re-entry,
and to improve outcomes for ex-offenders and the communities
in
which they live. The project is also supported through a grant from
the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency.
"Over a year ago, the Department of Labor's Center
for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives began a conversation
with inner-city pastors, community leaders, and employers.
One of the key challenges to successful transitions for people
with criminal records, we learned, was the lack of access
to employment," said Chao. "Gainful employment
is a turning point for all people. But this is particularly
true for those who are seeking a fresh start in life. Ready4Work
is good for, families, communities, and employers. And it
offers us a real chance to break the cycle of crime and recidivism
that plagues so many communities."
Chao was joined at this event by Pastor Garland Scott of
City Center Ministries and Kevin Gay of Operation New Hope,
who together lead Ready4Work in Jacksonville, Fla., the pilot
site for the initiative. "The Department of Labor's
Ready4Work program has already proven successful in a pilot
program in Jacksonville. We have seen first-hand how faith-based
and community-based programs can fundamentally change the
course of hearts and lives," said Jim Towey, director
of the White House Office on Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.
Ready4Work builds on a community's strengths -- business
leaders, faith-based and community non-profit organizations
(FBCOs), corrections, parole and probation officials, workforce
investment boards, and committed volunteer mentors -- to
train and employ job-ready ex-offenders, reduce recidivism,
leverage community resources to provide long-term support,
and capture and share promising practices with expansion
sites across the
nation. When fully implemented, Ready4Work will operate in 15 to 18
cities across the nation. Public/Private ventures will manage the national
implementation strategy.
The Department of Labor is one of seven federal cabinet
agencies with a Faith-Based and Community Initiative Center.
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Questions: Lisa Kruska 202-693-4676
