As part of the Integrated Reentry and Employment Strategies (IRES) Pilot Project, the National Reentry Resource Center – a Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center and Bureau of Justice Assistance project – is helping policymakers, system administrators, and practitioners meet the needs of people returning to the community after incarceration. This effort includes providing a framework that promotes coordination among corrections, workforce development agencies, and community-based service providers to increase job readiness and reduce the risk of recidivism.
The IRES pilot project has outlined questions to guide communities as they assess their ability to integrate the programs and activities of their criminal justice and workforce development systems. These questions include:
- Is the community’s leadership committed to a collaborative approach?
- Does the community conduct timely risk and needs assessments and job-readiness screenings?
- Has the community conducted a comprehensive process analysis and inventory of employment services that are provided pre- and post-release?
- Does the community have a coordinated process for making service referrals and tracking data?
Find more information about how these questions can guide communities and how the questions have been applied to the IRES pilot sites in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin and Palm Beach County, Florida in .