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If it is hard to find work as an unemployed worker in Tennessee, it is much harder to find work as an unemployed ex-convict worker in Tennessee. The Department of Labor and Workforce Development and the Department of Correction have joined forces to create an innovative program to provide help and guidance to inmates who are about to be released. Studies show that ex-convicts who find a regular job are much less likely to return to the system and are much more likely to become productive members of society. For example, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 650,000 inmates are released every year, but one third of them return to prison and one of the big factors is lack of employment. This is not good either for inmates or taxpayers at large. Why? Consider this. In Tennessee we have over 20,000 inmates and each one costs us $23,000. If we can get inmates that are released to stay away from prison, this will not only help them but also help reduce the cost on the penal system of returning customers.
However, before that happens they must find an employer willing to overcome the suspicion and bias attached to ex-convicts. Karla Davis, Labor Commissioner for Tennessee, said: “Everyone should have the opportunity to work, and if we can help former inmates land jobs, their chances of reintegrating into society are greatly improved”. So, if you are an inmate about to be released or have recently left the penal system, what can you do?
The Career Coach, a mobile career center launched by the Department of Labor visits correction complexes and offers help to inmates who are about to be released. The mobile station includes 10 computers and high-speed internet and office equipment to help inmates learn the skills they need to find a job and market themselves once they are released. This includes help in writing resumes, interviewing skills and job searching methods. Up-to-date (July 2011) over 5,000 inmates have been helped through this program.
Another way the Department of Labor and Workforce promotes the hiring of ex-convicts is to provide employers with income tax credits, if they hire ex-offenders. These tax-credits are substantial and not something employers should ignore. To illustrate, just last year (2010) employers in Tennessee received over $217 million in tax credits for employing over 46,000 workers. Click here, if you are interested in receiving more information about these and related issues.
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