WASHINGTON, June 19, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of $74 million in grants to 37 community service organizations to provide employment, training and support services to successfully re-integrate formerly incarcerated adults and youth involved in the juvenile justice system into their communities. Grantees are expected to provide a range of services that include case management, mentoring, education and training that leads to industry-recognized credentials.
"Under President Obama's leadership, we are imploding stovepipes and achieving levels of interagency collaboration to help ex-offenders turn around their lives and get back on their feet," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez. "Today's federal grants will continue to build on this success by expanding services to even more people who want to make a successful transition back into their communities."
"With more than half a million people being released from state and federal prisons each year, re-entry job training programs like the ones the Labor Department is funding today are a key part of ensuring people coming out of prison have the opportunity to learn the skills they need to successfully re-enter their communities,"said Deputy Attorney General James Cole. "Given that many of these individuals have limited skills and inadequate education, we cannot simply release them and expect that they will, on their own, be able to rebuild their lives and get a job with a livable wage. That's why programs such as these are so important to ensuring they get a helping hand and a genuine chance to succeed."
Twenty-one grants, totaling more than $44 million, are being awarded for the second round of the Face Forward initiative, which combines the most promising workforce and juvenile justice strategies available to improve participants' chances of success. Funded programs will also help to address the stigma of having a juvenile record by offering services to seal juvenile records and providing opportunities to handle delinquency complaints outside of the juvenile justice system.
The remaining funding, totaling $30 million to 17 organizations through the Training to Work - Adult Reentry program, will help men and women participating in state or local work-release programs gain the job skills necessary to succeed in-demand occupations upon reintegrating back into society. The grants also build on the department's commitment to fund sustainable programs through thecareer pathways initiative, which better coordinates education and training services to enable workers to attain industry-recognized credentials and find jobs.
Both grant programs target areas with high-poverty and high-crime, and several of the new grantees are located in areas designated as "Promise Zones" by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Promise Zones partner with local communities and businesses to create jobs, increase economic security, expand educational opportunities, increase access to quality and affordable housing, and improve public safety. The Promise Zone initiative builds on President Obama's commitment to increase collaboration between business and federal, state, tribal and local officials; faith-based and nonprofit organizations; children and parents to ensure that hard work leads to a decent living for every American in every community.
For more information about the department's Reintegration of Ex-Offender programs, please visit http://www.doleta.gov/RExO/.
Editor's note: A list of grantees follows this release.
Face Forward 2 Grantees
Grantee | City | State | Funding Amount |
Centro Community Hispanic Association Inc. | Long Beach | Calif. | $1,500,000 |
AMIkids Inc. | Tampa | Fla. | $5,000,000 |
Fresh Ministries Inc. | Jacksonville | Fla. | $1,483,106 |
Safer Foundation | Chicago | Ill. | $5,000,000 |
WestCare Illinois | Chicago | Ill. | $1,368,126 |
Spectrum Resources | Des Moines | Iowa | $1,496,978 |
Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government | Louisville | Ky. | $1,500,000 |
Volunteers of America Greater New Orleans | New Orleans | La. | $1,477,317 |
Action for Boston Community Development Inc. | Boston | Mass. | $1,000,000 |
RESOURCE Inc. | Minneapolis | Minn. | $1,495,248 |
Urban League of Essex County | Newark | N.J. | $1,211,538 |
Youth Shelters and Family Services Inc. | Santa Fe | N.M. | $1,368,126 |
PathStone Corp. | Rochester | N.Y. | $5,000,000 |
Workforce Investment Board of Herkimer, Madison and Oneida Counties | Utica | N.Y. | $1,500,000 |
The Children's Cabinet Inc. | Reno | Nev. | $1,500,000 |
Volunteers of America of Greater Ohio | Brecksville | Ohio | $1,365,483 |
Connection Training Services | Philadelphia | Pa. | $5,000,000 |
Change Happens | Houston | Texas | $1,368,126 |
Pathways-VA Inc. | Petersburg | Va. | $1,500,000 |
King County Department of Community and Human Services | Seattle | Wash. | $1,500,000 |
Center for Self-Sufficiency | Milwaukee | Wis. | $1,500,000 |
TOTAL | $44,134,048 | ||
Training To Work 2 Grantees
Grantee | City | State | Funding Amount |
The Dannon Project | Birmingham | Ala. | $2,000,000 |
Volunteers of America of Los Angeles | Los Angeles | Calif. | $2,000,000 |
The Empowerment Program Inc. | Denver | Colo. | $2,000,000 |
Community Partners in Action | Hartford | Conn. | $1,000,000 |
OIC of South Florida Inc. | Fort Lauderdale | Fla. | $1,999,900 |
Urban League of Greater Atlanta Inc. | Atlanta | Ga. | $2,000,000 |
Safer Foundation | Chicago | Ill. | $1,000,000 |
Interseminarian | Boston | Mass. | $1,000,000 |
70 x 7 Life Recovery | Holland | Mich. | $2,000,000 |
AccessAbility Inc. | Minneapolis | Minn. | $2,000,000 |
Fathers' Support Center Saint Louis Inc. | Saint Louis | Mo. | $1,998,003 |
Essex County College | Newark | N.J. | $1,000,000 |
The Osborne Association Inc. | Bronx | N.Y. | $2,000,000 |
Towards Employment Inc. | Cleveland | Ohio | $2,000,000 |
Community Service Council of Greater Tulsa | Tulsa | Okla. | $2,000,000 |
George Gervin Youth Center Inc. | San Antonio | Texas | $2,000,000 |
Word of Hope Ministries Inc. | Milwaukee | Wis. | $1,999,584 |
Total | $29,997,487 | ||
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SOURCE U.S. Department of Labor
