Under the city’s partnership with America Works – a New York-based company that helps find work for people with criminal records and other hard-to-serve job-seekers – a hand-picked group of chronic ex-offenders will get job readiness training, job placement and monitoring services to make sure they stay in meaningful, full-time employment.
“This is not just about crime deterrence. It’s about building lives,” said Mayor Becky Smothers. “I think we in the community see this as a wonderful opportunity to turn around a life that has gone way afar.”
High Point police officials and High Point Community Against Violence representatives hope America Works will help them address a shortcoming in their otherwise successful strategy for reducing violent crime.
In targeting chronic offenders who drive the majority of violence and other crime locally, the police and HPCAV have had difficulties finding them work. “It is very difficult to find work for an offender in this economy. It is very difficult for anyone to find work,” said HPCAV Executive Director Jim Summey.
According to the company, which has operated welfare-to-work programming since 1984, it has placed about 175,000 clients in jobs in its operations in New York, Albany, N.Y., Baltimore, Newark, Oakland and Philadelphia.
A growing body of evidence suggests that putting released prisoners to work reduces recidivism and is more cost-effective than repeat incarceration, according to the company.
“This is not about jobs. This is not about helping ex-offenders get jobs,” said police Chief Jim Fealy. “This is about violent crime reduction.”
City Council last month approved a $100,000 contract with America Works – $55,000 of which was raised by business leaders in the community who comprise HPCAV’s advisory board.
The city is funding the remaining amount. Officials are seeking other funding sources to sustain it beyond its first year.
“The fact that you have the business community, political leadership, police and others all on board – we don’t usually see that kind of broad community support,” said Lee Bowes, America Works’ CEO.
pkimbrough@hpe.com | 888-3531
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