Explanation
This ordinance authorizes the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a grant agreement with Alvis 180 in support of the Help in Reentry Employment (HIRE) program.
The HIRE program prepares restored citizens for employment through the provision of job readiness classes, job placement assistance, and wraparound case management services. Restored citizens returning to Columbus need assistance to obtain and retain employment to support themselves and their families. They face many barriers and can easily become discouraged, which can drive them to return to negative behaviors. The Annie E. Casey Foundation reports that “incarceration is a destabilizer, pushing families teetering on the edge into financial disaster.” The family left behind has been described as experiencing “secondary prisonization.” Most of these families live in poverty. Bruce Western (Harvard sociologist) asserts that “prison has become the new poverty trap.” These families await the return of their loved one … who will be, unfortunately, unemployed. A job can boost their self-confidence as they earn an income to keep them from depending on government support and from returning to the corrections system. A job also stabilizes their family and builds hope as they climb out of poverty. In addition, the Alvis workforce development program includes case management services with referrals to address housing needs and food insecurities.
The most recent reports by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction show that 1,600 inmates are released annually to Franklin County from the State prison system. In addition, Franklin County has the state’s third highest population of adults being released from its corrections centers, with over 30,000 offenders released annually. Over the last 25 years, there has been a fourfold increase in the number of released adults. According to the Franklin Co. Reentry Task Force, many restored citizens are ill-equipped to live successful, p...
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