U.S. DOL Awards More than $90 Million in Grants to Help Justice-Involved Individuals Enter the Workforce
This is an excerpt from a Department of Labor press release by the same name by Emily Weeks on July 7th, 2020. See the full story here.
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the awarding of $90,992,062 through two grant programs, Pathway Home and the Young Adult Reentry Partnership (YARP), focused on assisting justice-involved individuals in gaining meaningful employment. U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia traveled to Boston, Massachusetts, today to make the announcement with Pathway Home grant awardee Volunteers of America of Massachusetts.
“President Trump and his Administration believe in providing a second chance to Americans who have served their time in the criminal justice system,” said Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia. “These grants reflect this commitment to helping all Americans find jobs and participate meaningfully in the economy. The assistance the grants provide to men and women transitioning back into society will be especially valuable as we overcome the economic challenges posed by coronavirus."
“These grants support proactive and comprehensive approaches to engage justice-involved individuals seeking a second chance and a path to rewarding and sustainable careers,” said Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training John Pallasch. “Research shows early and frequent engagement prior to release from incarceration reduces the risk of recidivism, so these grants are vital to stopping the revolving door of prison from turning.”
The Department announced the awarding of $64,395,062 in Pathway Home grants to 20 recipients serving 15 states to assist in the transition of justice-involved adults back to the workplace. Awarded under the Reentry Employment Opportunities (REO) program, Pathway Home grants offer valuable support to organizations that provide reentry services to improve employment outcomes for adults involved in the criminal justice system. Grant recipients will offer individuals a variety of services designed to help ease their transition back to society, including education and training, job preparation, case management and needs assessments, career exploration and planning, legal assistance, counseling, and assistance connecting to other important social services.
In addition, the Department announced the awarding of $26,597,000 in Young Adult Reentry Partnership (YARP) grants to help establish partnerships with community colleges and connect justice-involved young adults with apprenticeships and other opportunities in growing industries such as informational technology, healthcare and energy. By focusing on community colleges, these grants will support the development of educational programs that provide skills that meet the needs of area industries and employers. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014 authorizes the REO program.
ETA administers federal government job training and worker dislocation programs, federal grants to states for public employment service programs, and unemployment insurance benefits. State and local workforce development systems primarily provide these services.
The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.