OFA Brown Bag Series: Ex-Offenders, Criminal Background Checks, and Racial Consequences

Record Description
On August 20, 2014, the Office of Family Assistance (OFA) hosted a Brown Bag "Ex-Offenders, Criminal Background Checks, and their Racial Consequences." This Brown Bag featured Dr. Michael A. Stoll, a Professor of Public Policy and Urban Planning at the Luskin School of Public Affairs at UCLA. During the Brown Bag, Dr. Stoll discussed his research on the barriers to re-entry of ex-offender hiring. His presentation included extensive employer research and rigorous statistical analysis to visualize the challenges and barriers to employment facing for ex-offenders currently.
Record Type
Posting Date
Combined Date
2014-08-20T10:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
Upload Files
Attachment Size
Transcript 267.96 KB

Poverty Fact Sheet: Life Beyond Bars: Children with an Incarcerated Parent

Record Description
In 2010, 2.7 million children in the United States had a parent in jail or prison. This fact sheet from the Institute for Research on Poverty highlights the various impacts that incarceration of a parent can have on a child. Some of these effects include the loss of daily contact, changes in family structure, negative family dynamics, emotional instability, poverty, and social behaviors and stigma. The author offers several policy options that could help mitigate these impacts.
Record Type
Posting Date
Combined Date
2014-10-31T20:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
URL
http://www.irp.wisc.edu/publications/factsheets/pdfs/Factsheet7-Incarceration.p…
Publication Date
2014-11-01

Early implementation findings from Responsible Fatherhood Reentry Projects

Record Description

This report from the Urban Institute provides early implementation findings from a study of six grantees that provide soon-to-be and recently-released fathers and their families with an array of activities and services in responsible fatherhood/parenting, healthy marriage/relationships, and economic stability. The goals of the programs are to help stabilize the fathers and their families, move the fathers toward self-sufficiency, and reduce recidivism. These OFA grantees began program operations in October 2011; this report covers program activity through May 2013. (author abstract)

Record Type
Posting Date
Combined Date
2014-12-31T19:00:00
Source
OFA Initiatives
Region
City/County
URL
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/resource/early-implementation-findings-from-respons…
Publication Date
2015-01-01

Evaluating an Earned Income Tax Credit for single adults

Record Description

This session will explore the emerging research on an expanded Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for single adults. The EITC, a refundable tax credit for low- to moderate-income working individuals and couples, is an effective way to make work pay for low-wage workers. However, many childless adults are ineligible for benefits. This session will explore emerging evidence on how expanding the EITC may improve self-sufficiency for low-income, single adults, including non-custodial parents. Carson Hicks (New York City Center for Economic Opportunity) will moderate this session, and Vicki Turetsky (Administration for Children and Families) will serve as a discussant.

• Paycheck Plus: Testing an Expanded EITC for Single Adults in New York City

Cynthia Miller (MDRC)

• Effects of an Expanded EITC on Labor Market Participation for Black and Latino Young Men

Ronald Mincy (Columbia University)

• Strengthening Families with Non-Custodial Parents: Effects of an Expanded EITC on Child Support

Elaine Sorensen (Administration for Children and Families) (conference program description)

These presentations were given at the 2014 Welfare Research and Evaluation Conference (WREC).

Record Type
Posting Date
Combined Date
2014-05-28T20:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
URL
http://recsconference.net/2014videos.htm
Publication Date
2014-05-29

The Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self-Sufficiency Project: Applying behavioral economics principles to child support programs

Record Description

Insights from behavioral economics, which combines findings from psychology and economics, suggest that an improved understanding of human behavior and decision-making could inform program design and improve outcomes. OPRE’s Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self Sufficiency (BIAS) project designs and tests behaviorally-informed program innovations for ACF programs. This session will share early findings and lessons learned from BIAS’s work with child support agencies in Texas and Ohio. (conference program description)

• Behavioral Economics and Social Policy: Designing Innovative Solutions for Programs Supported by the Administration for Children and Families

Lashawn Richburg-Hayes (MDRC)

The presentation gives an overview of how behavioral concepts are being applied to social policy within the context of the Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self-Sufficiency (BIAS) Project.

• Using Behavioral Economics to Help Incarcerated Parents Apply for Child Support Order Modifications

Mary Farrell (MEF Associates)

Michael Hayes (Texas Office of the Attorney General)

The presentation describes the Texas pilot of the Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self-Sufficiency (BIAS) Project, a program designed to increase the number of incarcerated, non-custodial parents who apply for child support order modifications.

• Using Behavioral Economics to Increase Timely and Regular Child Support Payments

Peter Baird (MDRC)

Susan Brown (Franklin County Child Support Enforcement Agency

The presentation describes the Franklin County, Ohio pilot of the Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self-Sufficiency (BIAS) Project, an initiative to increase the total amounts of child support collected and the frequency of payments.

These presentations were given at the 2014 Welfare Research and Evaluation Conference (WREC).

Record Type
Posting Date
Combined Date
2014-05-27T20:00:00
Source
OFA Initiatives
SFS Category
Region
City/County
URL
http://recsconference.net/2014videos.htm
Publication Date
2014-05-28

Evaluation of the Newark Prisoner Re-entry Initiative Replication

Record Description
This report evaluates the implementation and results from the Newark Prisoner Re-entry Initiative Replication (NPRIR). Formally known as the Prisoner Re-entry Initiative (PRI) Model, it seeks to help ex-offenders successfully transition into paid employment opportunities. Offenders who participate in the initiative receive intensive case management and work readiness assistance. In addition, participants are assisted with their job searches as well as job placement. The final report includes extensive information on partnerships, project services, quantitative data on participants, and much more.
Record Type
Posting Date
Combined Date
2014-08-31T20:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
URL
Interim Report
Final Report
Publication Date
2014-09-01

Taking the First Step: Using Behavioral Economics to Help Incarcerated Parents Apply for Child Support Order Modifications

Record Description
The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) released a report that outlines findings from a behavioral intervention that was designed to increase the number of incarcerated noncustodial parents in Texas who apply for child support order modifications. Researchers from the intervention redesigned the mailing materials to better entice the parents, and authors of the report indicated that the redesigned materials resulted in increased application outcomes. According to the authors, these results indicate the promise of incorporating behavioral economic principles to improve programs.
Record Type
Posting Date
Combined Date
2014-07-31T20:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
URL
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/opre/bias_texas_report_2014_revised…
Publication Date
2014-08-01
Innovative Programs

Center for Employment Opportunities

Mission/Goal of Program

The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) began as a demonstration project of the Vera Institute of Justice in the 1970s to address employment barriers facing individuals after their release from incarceration. In 1996, CEO became an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, providing comprehensive employment services to people newly released from New York State prisons and detention facilities. CEO operates in 22 cities across eight states and have made more than 30,000 placements into full-time employment for individuals who were formerly incarcerated.

Programs/Services Offered

To offer work experience, CEO operates transitional work crews that provide supplemental indoor/outdoor maintenance and neighborhood beautification services to more than 40 customers across the U.S. CEO guarantees every participant who completes a one-week job-readiness orientation up to four days a week of transitional work on a crew and daily pay. In addition to work and daily pay, CEO provides a robust set of wraparound vocational support services: on days participants are not working, they receive job coaching to find full-time employment.

  • Job-Readiness Training: prepare people for success in the workplace
  • Transitional Employment: provide immediate paid work experience
  • Job Coaching & Placement: connect talented employees with quality employers
  • Retention Services: provide ongoing support to ensure our participants succeed

CEO's program was independently evaluated by the US Department of Health and Human Services, which found that for individuals recently released from incarceration, participation in CEO resulted in lower rates on all measures of recidivism, including arrests, convictions and returns to jail or prison. Convictions of a crime fell by over 22 percent and re-incarceration for a new crime fell over 26 percent.

Start Date
Monday, January 1, 1996
Type of Agency/Organization
Community-based Organization
City
New York
State
California
Colorado
Kentucky
Louisiana
Michigan
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
Tennessee
Geographic Reach
Multistate
Clientele/Population Served
100 Percent Former offenders
Topics/Subtopics
Employment
Job Readiness
Special Populations
Incarcerated and Individuals with a Criminal Record
URL
https://ceoworks.org/
Innovative Programs

Horizon Communities in Prison

Mission/Goal of Program

Horizon Communities, formerly known as Kairos Horizon, was established in 1999, when the first residential program was created. Horizon Communities in prison is a catalyst in redeveloping and rehabilitating inmates for a second chance in life. With half the recidivism rate of state prisons, the program provides a platform that predicates discipline, knowledge, and structure necessary to be a constructive and positive participant in society.  It represents a fundamental and distinctive change in criminal and social justice.

Programs/Services Offered

Established in 1999, it is active in 4 states: Florida, Texas, Oklahoma and Ohio.  The programs include community mentoring, anger-management, communication and relationship skills, parenting and fatherhood programs; Crown Financial Ministries, faith-specific studies, a Family Day, letter-writing, and computer skills.

To date, the program has seen a reduction of disciplinary infractions and reduced recidivism. Importantly, it has also seen an increase in family restorations, testimonies of work supervisors, family members, and corrections officials of the difference that the program is making. Horizon Communities in Prison has remained with a low recidivism rate ranging from 11-17% depending upon the state they are in.

Start Date
Friday, January 1, 1999
Type of Agency/Organization
Community-based Organization
Geographic Area
Rural
Suburban
Urban
City
Tallahassee
State
Florida
Geographic Reach
Multistate
Clientele/Population Served
Incarcerated individuals
Topics/Subtopics
Family Strengthening
Fatherhood
Special Populations
Incarcerated and Individuals with a Criminal Record
URL
https://www.horizoncommunities.org/
Question / Response(s)

Question from PeerTA

Question Text

A representative from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services' Employment Program would like to know if States have any resources that they use when helping individuals with criminal backgrounds.

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Date
April 2013
Source
OFA Peer TA
Agency/Organization
PeerTA
State
Virginia
Topics/Subtopics
Special Populations
Incarcerated and Individuals with a Criminal Record
TANF Regulatory Codes