Employing Ex-Offenders to Reduce Recidivism

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2011

Assisting ex-offenders in gaining stable employment in one of the most effective ways to re-integrate them into the community as productive, law-abiding citizens and to help them avoid coming further offenses. In order to address the high recidivism rate and the need for employment services for the ex-offender population in Maricopa County, a comprehensive ex-offender employment program called PASSAGES (Pathways to Success, Security, and Gainful Employment Solutions) has been implemented. The PASSAGES program provides employment, educational, and vocational training to make and female adult sex-offenders, in conjunction with mentoring, social services, and other assistance. The PASSAGES program is part of a larger re-entry initiative involving to collaboration of stakeholders for a wide variety of agencies. The PASSAGES program deploys resources in a focused manner to a geographical area with a high concentration of offenders in need of services. The program uses performance-based contracting to ensure that payment for services is directly tired to documented and successful client outcomes. Implementation of the PASAGES program has resulted in measurable increases in the number of ex-offenders who have gained employment. The program has resulted in a significant reduction in the recidivism rate for those clients served, which has led to immense savings in criminal justice system costs.