Another Chance Initiative - State of New Jersey
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In October 2007 the Governor of New Jersey announced his Reentry Strategy as part of a Safe Streets Safe Neighborhoods Public Safety Plan. A major initiative under the reentry strategy is called "Another Chance", designed to help transitioning offenders to successfully return from incarceration, find employment and reduce the recidivism rate in New Jersey.
Three groups of offenders have been identified for inclusion in the Another Chance Initiative. All three groups include inmates or parolees retuming to the cities of Newark, Camden and Trenton from four state prisons - Garden State Youth Correctional Facility, Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women, Northern State Prison and Riverfront State Prison, and from the residential community release programs (RCRP) in which these prisons serve as the regional institutions.
The first group of inmates are parolees who are already released and under the supervision of a parole officer in one of the three cities listed above. The second group of inmates are soon to be released and have been afforded the opportunity to participate in some of the pre-release programs administered by the Department of Corrections. Such programs are Workforce Learning Links, Social Service programs, vocational programs and counseling programs. The third group of inmates are newly admitted who should be afforded all opportunities to take advantage of all the pre-release programs offered by the Department of Corrections.
All three groups are going to be afforded the opportunity to work with the Department of Labor and Workforce Developments One Stop Career Centers on their reintegration to society and the obtaining of employment to reduce the recidivism rate in New. Jersey. At the point of entering the One Stop Career Center they will be afforded the opportunity to take advantage of such programs as job search assistance, interviewing techniques, resume writing, vocational training, job counseling, Workforce Learning Links, GED preparation and testing, English as a Second Language programs, On-the-Job Training, Work Opportunity Tax Credit, Federal Bonding and referral to such programs as Division of Vocational Rehabilitation if a disability exists, Division of Human Services if there is a need for social services (housing, food stamps, General Assistance, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, medical benefits) and finally a Job Coach. The Job Coach will be responsible for working with those Another Chance recipients whom are job ready, but in need of services that are out of the spectrum of availability through the One Stop Career Center. They will be responsible for working with the ex-offenders on both job search and job retention therefore they will need to work with both the job seeker to obtain employment and the employer after employment is attained.
The ultimate goal of Another Chance is to work with the ex-offender population in various ways to assure that after incarceration obtaining employment will be easier and a priority so that they do not commit more crimes and find themselves back in the correctional facilities.
