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Remarks Prepared for Delivery by
U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao
Compassion in Action: Prisoner Reentry
The White House, Washington, D.C.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Thank you, Jay [Hein, Director of the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives]. Before I begin, let me recognize all of you in the audience for your hard work and dedication in reaching out to those most in need. You are putting into action the President's vision to give those who have paid their debt to society a second chance.
I think we all agree that the best strategy to reach those in need is to enlist every willing partner. When community and faith-based groups are permitted to partner with the government, our country and our communities benefit.
As a result of the Faith-Based and Community Initiative, hundreds of dedicated organizations have stepped forward to work side-by-side with the Department of Labor to help the unemployed, the underemployed, and the never employed.
In the past, many of these organizations worked in total isolation from government, even when working toward similar goals. Today, government is working with faith-based and community organizations toward shared goals. And again and again, it is making a difference.
Community and faith-based groups possess unique and invaluable strengths. To exclude them from partnerships short-changes both our country and the people who most need our help. And often, it is the personal concern and caring touch that make the critical difference for those who are at risk: the father who's lost his job and his hope, the ex-offender wanting a fresh start, the struggling single mom.
Mr. Davie [Fred Davie, President of Public/Private Ventures], it is good to see you again. The Department of Labor awarded this organization a $10 million grant in July of 2004 in Jacksonville to help ex-offenders successfully re-enter society. The grant was part of a 3-year, $25 million pilot program launched by the Department of Labor called Ready4Work. After serving former offenders for three years, the results have been very encouraging. I know Mr. Davie will share with us some of the highlights of this program shortly.
11 sites were chosen to participate in the Ready4Work program and provide services to adult ex-offenders. Ready4Work was designed to leverage the trust and leadership of faith-based and community organizations to help ex-offenders build new lives. The program offers job training, job placement, mentoring and other services to help these men and women transition successfully back into their communities.
With 650,000 offenders released every year, helping this population is a major challenge for our society. Ready4Work helps ex-offenders access stable employment and develop strong social bonds, so they can access hope and opportunity.
The results show tremendous promise. Over the three year life of the Ready4Work project, a total of 4,482 ex-offenders enrolled. Ready4Work participants have a 45 percent lower rate of recidivism after six months than Justice Department benchmarks, and a 30 percent lower rate after one year. That's a tremendous achievement. So much remains to be done. But these results give us hope that, with the proper help, those most at risk in our society can turn their lives around.
Let me mention how the Ready4Work program helped one participant turn his life around. By the age of twenty-eight, James already had a ten-year criminal history. After his release from prison in July of 2004, he enrolled in Operation New Hope's Ready4Work program in Jacksonville, Florida. He participated in the two-week Career Development class. Shortly thereafter, he got his first job as a stockman at a local grocery chain. Although he'd completed his coursework, James continued to attend Ready4Work classes on his days off so that he could stay focused on positive decisions and improve his career opportunities.
Soon, James was on his way to full-time work in construction as an apprentice pipe-fitter. Today, he has been employed for more than two and a half years and is earning $11.25 per hour. He also has worked hard to repair his credit. And just last week he was approved to purchase a new home. He attributes his success in turning his life around to the encouragement and support he received from the Ready4Work program. He continues to be involved by visiting Operation New Hope and sharing his success in the Ready4Work program with others.
Let me also mention the Prisoner Reentry Initiative, which is another employment-based reentry program led by the Labor Department. President Bush announced this four-year program in his 2004 State of the Union address — building on the strong foundation laid by the Ready4Work program. It serves more than 6,000 ex-prisoners every year. The program provides them with a positive, productive link into the communities to which they are returning. Following a large competition, the Department awarded 30 grants in November, 2005 to faith-based and community organizations across the country. These organizations began operations in spring of 2006 and as of March 16, 2007, 6,046 men and women have enrolled in the program. So far, 3,086 have been placed into jobs.
And make no mistake about it — these workers are needed! Our economy is creating jobs faster than we can measure them. More than 7.6 million net jobs have been created since August 2003. And our nation's unemployment rate is a low 4.5 percent — lower than the average of the 1990s. So there are opportunities for every willing worker that we can reach and train.
So thank you for everything you are doing to bring hope and opportunity to those who need us most. Working together, we can continue to ensure that everyone in our society has a second chance, and the tools they need to build lives of independence and dignity.
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