Working I.T. Out

The Second Chance Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-199) provides a comprehensive response to the increasing number of incarcerated adults and juveniles who are released from prison, jail, and juvenile residential facilities and returning to communities. The Second Chance Act will help ensure that the transition individuals make from prison, jail, or juvenile residential facilities to the community is successful and promotes public safety. Section 115 of the Second Chance Act authorizes federal awards to states, units of local government, territories, and federally recognized Indian tribes to provide technology career training to persons confined in state prisons, local jails, and juvenile residential facilities.

The goal of the Second Chance Act Technology Careers Training Demonstration Projects for Incarcerated Adults and Juveniles is to increase the post-release employability of offenders in related technology-based jobs and career fields. The objective of the program is to establish and provide technology career training programs for incarcerated adults and juveniles during the 6-18 month period before release from a prison, jail, or juvenile facility.

The grant recipient will use the grant to implement the "Working I.T. Out" Green Technology program, for one hundred forty (140) medium to high-risk sentenced adult male and female inmates. The participants will adjust negative attitudes, acquire a foundational knowledge of the green technology sector, and obtain essential computer literacy skills. Following the pre-release program, participants will enroll in a two-day Economic Stability Workshop and complete one month of community-based training program, where they can focus on either green energy or green construction, obtain work experience, and complete additional certification courses. At least 60 percent of those individuals who complete the program will be placed in employment full-time in a green technology position. The grantee predicts the program will reduce the one year readmission rate by 15-20 percent.

CA/NCF