Linking to Employment Activities Pre-Release Initiative

About the Program

Category: Human Services (Best in Category)

Year: 2016

Due to overcrowding in California State prisons, Assembly Bill 109 also known as the Public Safety Realignment Act, was passed in 2011 which transferred inmates from state to county jails. As a result, there has been an increased need for job placement re-entry projects within county jails for high-risk offenders who are near to their release dates to reduce the risk of recidivism. The Community Investment Division (CID) submitted a proposal to the Department of Labor, in partnership with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, to serve high-risk offenders within the largest correctional facility in Orange County. In June 2015, CID was awarded $500,000 in funding to establish a jail-based job center within Theo Lacy Jail to link transitioning offenders with community-based workforce services, ultimately leading to successful employment. Upon release, participants are then served by local community-based Orange County One-Stop Centers administered by CID.