Welcome Back: Ex-offenders Rejoin the Workforce

Hildie Kraus

Snapshot of corrections 2011

• Roughly two million people in U.S. prisons

• 170,000 people in California prisons

• Recidivism:

Here they are…

• Rehabilitation• Reentry• Reintegration

Parole & Community Teamwork:Monthly PACT meetings

Winfred, aka ‘French’

Winging it

• Expectation: 22 people each class• Reality: 4 - 6 people each day.• Expectation: Two one-month sessions• Reality: Drop in, and keep coming.• Expectation: Linear curriculum • Reality: Start with structured lessons,

then teach what they need when they need it.

Nora

Dwayne

Taylor

This doesn’t look like fun, but….

Outputs

• 48 hours of computer classes• 16 hours of job readiness workshops• 18 resumes completed• 22 flash drives distributed• More than 50 jobs applied for online, in class

Outcomes

22 people completed pre-program surveys: 26% knew ‘a fair amount’ or ‘a lot’ about

computers 41% had resumes 59% had applied for jobs online 64% ‘moderately’ or ‘extremely confident’

about applying for work9 people completed post-program surveys: 100% for these categories

Worth it?

Cost: 5000.00 LSTA grant5500.00 in-kind contribution from SDCL 633.00 matching funds from Friends of

the Library and SDCL11333.00

For further information

Hildie Kraus4375 Bonita RoadBonita CA 91902619-475-4642hildie.kraus@sdcounty.ca.gov

Thank you!