Career Pathways for Successful Re-Entry

Applicant Name:  Goodwill Industries – Suncoast, Inc.

Project Title:   Second  Chance Act: Adult Reentry Education,  Employment, Treatment and Recovery 
Program

Summation of Proposed Project.  Scope.  GIS, serving the 10 county area surrounding Tampa Bay,  has a tradition and mission of meeting the needs of our community, having operated in workforce and corrections arenas for many years with a strong foundation in the local community.   This project expands the resources of the Tampa Bay  Community  Corrections  Center  (TBCCC)  to  serve  the  adults  with  planned  release destinations within the  most prevalent release desitnations in counties of Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco and Hernando,  in extended services beginning in pre-release and extending into  post-release.    TBCCC  currently  provides  a  robust  line-up  of  pre-release  services  as prescribed by Florida Dept of Corrections (FDOC) consistent with those outlined in this RFP. These services will be enhanced by focusing on foundational (soft) skills development, career development and upskilling and reskilling training resources to impact greater earnings and long-term follow-up contact underpins their stability on the long-term.   Beginning at intake into the facility, inmates will be apprised of the availability of these enhanced services and enrolled as their schedule permits.

Active  work  will  begin  at  the  milestone  in  which  TBCCC  Case  Managers  begin  work  on inmate’s Readiness and Transition Plan.   The Career Navigators funded under this proposal will  offer  further  assessment,  eligibility,  and  Career  Pathways  Planning  includes  post-secondary education and training readiness, training services, job development and placement and long-term follow-up.  Funds are included to assist in subsidized employment post-release for transition  to  their  career  pathway  target  positions.    Staff  resources  are  budgeted  for Retention and Outreach, a fundamental component to the long-term focus of the proposal.

Goodwill will track and report on employment outcomes as well as recidivism rates and will work with  both  our  regional  workforce  board  representatives  and  business  partners  to continually   assess   local   demand   for   employees   in   the   geographic   areas   to   which offenders are likely to return and adjust educational and employment goals accordingly.  This proposal meets the priority considerations by  1) targeting poverty areas within the geographic regions of the planned release destinations within our territory; 2) promotion of civil rights  of the successful graduates of  the reentry program; and  3)  protecting the public from crime and evolving threats by focusing on increasing the earnings capacity of those served in FDOC facilities.