Off to Work We Go

About the Program

Category: Personnel Management, Employment and Training (Best in Category)

Year: 2015

The Maricopa County Adult Probation Department (MCAPD) Job Skills Program, Off to Work We Go, fills a gap in the employment services available to people with criminal histories who are attempting to improve their lives by finding good jobs. More than 41% of the adults on probation in Maricopa County, Arizona, are unemployed. People with one or more criminal convictions in their backgrounds have difficulty finding employment, many times primarily because of those felony convictions. Since individuals on probation are required to find a job; stay employed; and pay fines, fees, and restitution; employment is critical to their success on probation as well as their financial well-being. The MCAPD Off to Work We Go program meets the specific job searching needs of unemployed men and women on probation. The presentations, interactive exercises, and computer lab prepare participants to find employment utilizing modern methods to search for jobs and submit applications on-line, and the program provides specific assistance with the subject of past convictions when seeking employment. The program has been successful with 81% of its graduates gaining employment. Off to Work We Go has had a positive effect on participants’ lives and futures.