THE TRANSITIONAL JOBS RE-ENTRY DEMONSTRATION

Approximately 8,600 ex-offenders are released each year in Wisconsin, with an average of almost 3,600 offenders released to Milwaukee County.

Being shadowed by a prison record is a significant hurdle to steady employment. In July 2006 New Hope joined a collaborative helping to make the transition from prison to work easier. More information here.

NHP will provide 200 participants with guaranteed access to employment through time-limited subsidized jobs, financial incentives, and individualized support in employment coaching and planning. The project will cover the employee wages for up to four months for employers who provide real work and supervision for participants to build up their recent work history and experience.

“Men coming out of prison face sizable barriers in securing employment. We have seen how transitional jobs can help ex-offenders overcome their sense of hopelessness and powerlessness in the face of a very challenging job market. We look forward to putting that belief to the test.”
                ——Julie Kerksick, Executive Director of The New Hope Project

If proved effective, the program will go a long way in helping the state lower its recidivism rate. In Wisconsin today, 39 percent of the formerly incarcerated land back in prison for a new offense.

“Reducing recidivism clearly is in the interest of our state, from a financial as well as a moral standpoint. It is our hope that this test will provide policy makers with hard data proving that the upfront investment in transitional jobs programs will pay off in terms of lower rates of recidivism.”
                  ——Julie Kerksick, Executive Director of The New Hope Project

To test how effective the program is, MDRC, a New York-based research and evaluation firm, in collaboration with the Urban Institute and the University of Michigan, will assign one group of men to the program and the other to a “control” group that does not get the services provided by the program.

Evaluators will examine long-term employment, income, and incarceration rates. The results of the study, due in 2009, should both establish whether transitional jobs are effective and also, by comparing different initiatives, identify models that work especially well and people who benefit most.

Go to Wisconsin Department of Corrections for a news release on this program.


FATHER/CHILD RELATIONSHIP DESERVES SPECIAL ATTENTION

NHP partners with the Next Door Foundation  (a faith-based organization in Milwaukee) in its Fatherhood Program, a nationally funded initiative to preserve and strengthen the relationships between fathers and children. Goals of the fatherhood program include:

• Enhance children’s physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development
• Enable parents to be better caregivers and teachers for their children
• Help fathers set and meet goals of economic independence

Next Door Foundation sponsors field trips, visitation, and socialization through playgroups. They also provide a parent enrichment support group, peer to peer mentoring, and job training/placement/retention.

NHP also works closely with Legal Action in the Supporting Families program to provide advice and representation on issues related to child support, with the goal of helping non-custodial parents meet economic responsibilities for their children--which is also linked to greater emotional involvement in their children's lives.

WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING PROGRAMS

Through the state’s Workforce Investment Act employment and training programs, NHP has helped 350 individuals, more than half of whom have found employment.

MILWAUKEE WORKERS’ WEBSITE

NHP created the Milwaukee Workers’ website to provide interactive assistance in job search and information about programs such as the Earned Income Credit and Food Stamps. The site has been superseded by the state’s Access website and the City of Milwaukee's website.