The Black Informant | African American Commentary, News and Community Building

This is an issue that has been on my mind off and on all week. The three most important things I see that these brothas need once they get out of prison is 1 - Serious counseling, 2 - a decent place to stay, and 3 – a good job. I know that there are many organizations out there that address these issues which is why I would like to compile that information on this particular post. With all the running around I have to do today, chances are I will not be able to look for that information until late this evening. In the meantime if you know of some organizations that address this issue, please leave that info in the comments section. It would also be cool if I made it into a pdf document for readers to print out to give to brothas that need it.

UPDATE: Okay, I found it all one one site. Here is an excerpt of that page (since the organization who has listed this information appears to have ceased operations as of 12/06, I’ll save the page as a .pdf and offer it as a download somewhere on this site).

National Helping Individuals with criminal records Re-enter through Employment (H.I.R.E.) Network is a clearinghouse for information and advocacy, aimed at increasing the number and quality of job opportunities available to people with criminal records. Offers state-specific resources, information and assistance helping former prisoners locate job-related and legal services. Answers questions arising from having a criminal record and offers referrals to useful governmental agencies and community-based organizations. http://www.hirenetwork.org/resource.html

The Employment Information Handbook for Ex-Offenders

This handbook was developed by the U.S. Department of Labor (2005) as a reference tool for prisoners and former prisoners seeking good paying jobs after they return to their homes. The Handbook includes valuable practical guidance for handling paperwork, finding employment support programs, locating jobs, preparing for interviews, filling out applications and answering questions about having been incarcerated. Some of the resources referenced in this Handbook are summarized below. http://www.mdworkforce.com/board/dolexoffenderhandbook.doc

One-Stop Centers are community-based employment service centers that help job seekers find job leads, education, training, and other employment services. One-Stop Centers can answer questions about career counseling, job training, Workforce Investment Act – sponsored training, federal bonding, and employer tax incentives as well as community assistance programs for ex-offenders. Locate a One-Stop center anywhere in the United States by calling 1-877-US2-JOBS toll free (For TTY, call 1-877-TTY-JOBS) or via the Internet at http://www.servicelocator.org.

The Occupational Outlook Handbook is a nationally recognized source of career information provided by the Bureau of Labor. Revised every two years, the Occupational Outlook Handbook lists a wide range of occupations, describing what workers do on the job, working conditions, the training and education needed, earnings, and expected job prospects in the future. The Handbook is available online at http://www.bls.gov/oco/home.htm. If you do not have access to the Internet, a copy may be in your employment readiness center or library or may be ordered through the website listed above at a nominal cost.

JOBLINE Toll-Free Number: 1-800-414-5748

Jobline® is a free public service available on the telephone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in 24 states including California, Florida, Texas and New York (for a complete list of participating states, see http://www.nfb.org/jobline/spons_states.htm). New jobs are listed on the system each day, and jobs that are filled are removed. All that is required is a touch-tone telephone to establish a personalized job-search profile.

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