Job Development

RFW Hosts Training on Serving Persons with Disabilities Who Are Offenders

Over 2 million persons in the United States today are in prison and in excess of 600,000 of them are released back to the community each year. In Wisconsin alone nearly 100,000 persons report to the State Department of Corrections through adult probation, parole and prison and the state juvenile system.

A national study indicates that 31% of inmates in state prisons suffered from a physical impairment or mental condition. In Wisconsin, prison statistics for men are similar to the national experience with 31% of males having a chronic illness and for women in the state’s female maximum and medium security prison the figure is an alarming 62%.

The vast majority of Wisconsin offenders are living in their communities and need employment. Statistics show that despite a state law, Wisconsin Fair Employment Act, which is designed to protect their employment rights, offenders are disproportionately underemployed or unemployed. Research shows a definite correlation between employment and quality of employment and recidivism making offender employment a key to success.

With this as backdrop and based on an RFW needs assessment, we have recently held two statewide training sessions on aiding offenders in obtaining employment. The first session was done in Madison and the second in Rothschild. Both sessions drew rave reviews from the attendees.

RFW chose Art Besse, President of Art Besse & Associates LLC with 40 years of workforce development experience and Glenn Olsen of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, an expert, among other things, on service to offenders and persons with disabilities to do the training both times.

Mr. Olson and Mr. Besse’s curriculum lasted a full day and was made up of six modules: A Corrections Overview, Criminal Thinking and Cognitive Intervention, Employment Right and Restrictions, Offender Placement Techniques and Resources, How Not to Get Conned, and Developing an Action Plan. Ample time was left for audience participation and a great number of questions were covered from the floor.

Based on the success of these sessions and future demand, RFW is considering a reprise of these sessions at a future date.

Highlights: A Few of the Materials Shared at the Seminar...

• Article: Six Critical Steps for Ex-offenders Trying to Get Back into the Workforce (pdf)
• Wisconsin Department of Justice List of Useful Websites
• Fidelity Bonding Brochure (pdf)

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