ETA News Release: [July 05, 2005]
Contact Name: David James or Mike Volpe
Phone Number: 202-693-4676 or 202-693-3984
Department of Labor Announces Nearly $356,000 to Assist Women
Ex-Offenders in Massachusetts
BOSTON - U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco today announced a grant of nearly $356,000 to the Jewish Vocational Service's (JVS) Women Offenders Reentry Collaborative to assist incarcerated and recently-released women ex-offenders returning to the Boston area.
"JVS will be offering women who have paid their debt to society a second chance not only at employment but at career advancement," said Assistant Secretary DeRocco. "JVS will be leveraging the strength of community institutions to start ex-offending women on a productive path for life."
With the grant, JVS will provide women ex-offenders with a variety of educational courses, ongoing case management, mentoring, social services and post-placement career advancement services. Assistance for participants will begin with a pre-release assessment to formulate a customer action plan that will contain short and long-term goals, education and training needs and expected outcomes.
JVS will build on existing relationships to create collaborative partnerships with corrections and parole officers, faith-based and community organizations, the Massachusetts Department of Workforce Development's Division of Apprentice Training, unions, educational facilities and employers. The organization also will work with the prison system to develop training programs to educate employers about the offender population and inform them about bonding programs and tax incentives for employing ex-offenders.
For more information on the Department of Labor's employment and training programs, please visit www.doleta.gov. For more information on the Department of Labor's Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, please visit http://www.dol.gov/cfbci/.
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