Can a Gov Tech Supplier Help Reduce Recidivism Rates?

Released prisoners face a host of challenges, not the least of which are astronomical unemployment rates. But a supplier of software to public agencies hopes that its technology can put a dent in that.

Geographic Solutions, which sells workforce development and related tools to the public sector, says California will use its technology to help soon-to-be released inmates search for jobs.

“Recidivism is very high if you don’t have a job,” company founder and President Paul Toomey told Government Technology. “The clock is ticking when you leave prison.”

The deal involves what’s called the Entry to Employment network, and also includes the California Prison Industry Authority (CALPIA) and the Employment Development Department (EDD).

The network provides access to EDD’s “second-chance employer list” and jobs that are open to people convicted of crimes.

According to the statement announcing the deal, the network enables businesses to access a potential workforce that often has received job training in prison. Such training, in fact, can prepare inmates for jobs in the tech industry.

In any case, the stakes are pretty high.

The United States has a higher incarceration rate than any other democracy, with nearly 7 million people behind bars or on parole. More than 600,000 people, meanwhile, are released from state and local prisons annually. Recidivism rates can run as high as 66 percent within three years of release, with joblessness making it more likely that a former inmate will be arrested again.

The unemployment rate for people who’ve been imprisoned reaches 27 percent, according to an estimate from the Prison Policy Initiative.

Another study found that only 26 percent of hiring managers have “seriously considered someone with a criminal conviction for the last entry-level/non-degreed position they hired for,” though variation happens depending on the type of crime.

“The Entry to Employment network is a game changer when it comes to successful re-entry for incarcerated individuals,” said CALPIA General Manager Bill Davidson in the statement. “CALPIA wants individuals to have a career before they return to their communities and this first-of-its-kind network is definitely helping in the process.”

The new job seeking tool is open to inmates who have about six months left on their sentences. Correction officers must sign off on the process, Toomey said. After an inmate is released, they gain full access to the network, with no oversight from prison officials.

Those officials and the company have “taken steps” to make sure inmates don’t use resumes or other features of the network for illicit communications, he said.

This new tech in California comes just months after the U.S. Department of Labor said it would provide $52 million in grants for groups that provide job training and other “re-entry services” for prisoners.

The “grants allow organizations to establish formal partnerships with employers to help participants acquire training and industry-recognized credentials to successfully transition into employment and their communities,” according to the Labor Department.

Meanwhile, technology is increasingly playing a role in helping inmates in other ways.

Some county jails in New York, for instance, now offer tablet computers and headphones to inmates so they can access free and paid content that includes educational videos and books. The idea is that the tech will improve inmate behavior, which in turn will reduce the stress on the jail workforce.

Another recent approach focuses on using a health and wellness app to help former inmates as they re-enter society.

This article first appeared in Government Technology, sister publication to Industry Insider — California. Both are part of e.Republic.