Press Releases
05/30/2017
Gov. Malloy Announces Opening of Jobs Training Center for Female Offenders at York Correctional Institution That is Designed to Further Reduce Recidivism
Employment Skills Training Program Opens Under Governor’s Second Chance Society Initiative
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that as part of his Second Chance Society initiatives, the Connecticut Department of Correction (DOC) has opened an American Job Center at York Correctional Institution in Niantic – the state’s only institution for female offenders. The job development program is only the second of its kind in Connecticut and aims to continue reducing the state’s historically low crime rate by providing inmates who are nearing the end of their sentences with the tools needed to become productive members of society upon their release.
“Operating a successful correctional facility that does its best to ensure that the inmates housed in that facility never return requires the availability of specific pre-release services that provide inmates with the tools needed to re-enter as productive members of society and our economy,” Governor Malloy said. “By working with offenders before they are released from custody, we can improve their chances to be successful at obtaining employment upon their release and make a real impact that drives our crime rate even lower and prevents recidivism.”
The DOC opened the state’s first American Job Center at New Haven Correctional Institution in December 2015.
Funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, the center provides a range of pre-release services such as employment skills, resume writing, interview techniques, and case management. Additionally, the center provides participants with access to job readiness workshops and short-term certification training in several areas. It is based on the Workforce Alliance’s Next Steps Re-Entry program, which the organization has offered to former inmates over the last ten years.
“I am pleased that the Department of Correction now has an America Jobs Center not only for its male offenders, but for its female offenders also,” Department of Correction Commissioner Scott Semple said. “Studies have shown that offenders who participated in employment-assistance programs had a nearly 20 percent less chance of returning to prison. The greater number of offenders – male or female – we can prepare to enter the workforce upon their release, the better the chances for reducing recidivism.”
Inmates will be selected to participate in the program and an individual plan will be developed for them to deliver successful outcomes. They will receive training on how to interview for a job, prepare a cover letter and resume, apply for college financial aid, and apply for a job using online applications. They will also receive instruction on basic math, writing, and computer skills needed to make themselves more employable.
An existing classroom is currently being set up at the correctional facility for this program, which will also include a room to conduct practice interviews.
- Twitter: @GovMalloyOffice
- Facebook: Office of Governor Dannel P. Malloy