The Virtual OneStop Reintegration of Offenders System: Helping Incarcerated Individuals Find Employment After Release

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1 The Virtual OneStop Reintegration of Offenders System: Helping Incarcerated Individuals Find Employment After Release Jennifer Jennings Virginia Department of Corrections Paul Toomey Geographic Solutions

2 Nearly 12,000 adults are released from state correctional facilities to Virginia communities each year with an immediate need for employment. Offenders who arrange for post-release employment prior to release have lower recidivism rates than those who do not. The vast majority of job openings are now on the Internet. The Department of Corrections policy prohibits offenders from having access to the Internet. 2

3 Allow incarcerated offenders to learn the skills needed to perform Internetbased job searches. Provide offenders with access to search for current job openings that are advertised on job search websites in a secure environment. Afford offenders the opportunity to obtain employment prior to their release. 3

4 Portals will be utilized within our Workforce Development Resource Centers and offered to offenders participating in our Cognitive Community Re-Entry Programs. Offenders within three weeks of release will have access to the system to complete registrations and apply for jobs within their communities. Once released, offenders will be able to log into the main Virginia Workforce Connection site with their existing Virginia Corrections Portal account information. All of their existing information (including résumés) will be available to them. 4

5 5 Virginia Department of Corrections ranks #1 for having the lowest recidivism rate in the nation at 23.4%.

6 The portal sits on top of the main Virginia Workforce Connection site. They share the same database; therefore: Offenders will have access to all of the jobs on the main site through the portal. Employers will have access through the main Virginia Workforce Connection site to all of the incarcerated offenders, increasing the candidate and applicant pool size. Only offenders and staff will use the portal site. Employers will use the main Virginia Workforce Connection site. 6

7 All of the following functionality will be controlled by configurations: Contact information for offenders is hidden Applying for all jobs is directed through staff All communication takes place through the Message Center Alert sent to staff when an offender would like to apply to an external job Alert sent when an offender has received or sent a message 7

8 Offenders with existing accounts on the Virginia Workforce Connection site can log into the portal with their existing account information. Offenders who do not have an existing account can create an account on the Virginia Corrections Portal. Once offenders are released, they can use their portal account information to log into the Virginia Workforce Connection site. They will no longer have restrictions placed on their account. 8

9 9 Offenders will need to update their résumé if they have an existing one. If the offender does not have an existing résumé, they will need to create one. When the switch is turned on, all of the contact information boxes (except for Name) are automatically unchecked and disabled.

10 There are two types of jobs in the system: External Jobs Jobs that are spidered and lead to an external site. Internal Jobs Jobs where employers have registered in the system and the job can be applied for from within the system. *Offenders are not allowed to navigate outside of the portal s IP address. 10

11 When an offender clicks on the How to Apply for This Job button, a pop-up message is displayed, alerting them they will need to contact staff to apply for this external job. Screenshot Caption 11

12 If the offender chooses to apply to the job and clicks on the OK button, an alert will be sent to staff. The subject line will contain the offender s name. 12

13 13 When staff clicks the job number in the alert, they will be directed to the job details page. From there, staff can review the job to determine if the offender is qualified. If qualified, staff can then apply for the external job on behalf of the offender. All communication with the external sites will be through staff only.

14 Once the offender completes the application process for an internal job, the application is sent to the portal s Pending Review queue. Portal staff can review offender applications as well as background information and their résumé to determine if this is an appropriate referral. Staff can choose to refer or to not refer the offender. Screenshot Caption 14

15 15 Offenders résumés will be displayed in the results for résumé searches by employers; however, their contact information will not be shown to help minimize discrimination. Non-offender résumés will still display contact information as normal.

16 How résumés and the contact information tab will appear on the portal: View Résumé Contact Information Tab 16

17 17 Employer communication with offender candidates and applicants will be restricted to the Message Center. ing will not be an option. Staff will receive an alert when an offender receives or sends a message. Staff can review the message content for appropriateness.

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21 21 The name of the offender is in the subject line so staff can easily identify them.

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23 Paul Toomey President Geographic Solutions Jennifer Jennings Offender Workforce Development Program Manager Virginia Department of Corrections Corporate Headquarters: 1001 Omaha Circle - Palm Harbor, FL Ph: Fax: West Coast Office: 234 Capitol Street, Suite A Salinas, CA Ph: Fax: