Project Re-Enterprise: A Texas Program. Series: NIJ Program Focus Published: August 1996 31 pages 54,227 bytes National Institute of Justice Program Focus In Cooperation with the National Institute of Corrections, U.S. Department of Justice and the Office of Correctional Education, U.S. Department of Education Project Re-Enterprise: A Texas Program By Marilyn C. Moses ------------------------------ Highlights Efforts to turn around the lives of convicted and sentenced offenders depend for their success on the understanding and cooperative involvement of many individuals and groups both within and outside the criminal justice system. Those engaged in the difficult business of rehabilitation recognize that offenders released into the community have little chance of remaining there unless they are given opportunities to become productive and self-sustaining members of mainstream society. This Program Focus describes Project Re-Enterprise (PRE), a Texas-based program administered by the Crime Prevention Institute (CPI) that enlists the participation of local business leaders in an educational initiative to hone the job-seeking skills of inmates. In the process of helping incarcerees, PRE offers employers the chance to provide a public service, learn about an untapped source of potential workers, and broaden their perceptions of criminals and the correctional community. Of Special Interest: o PRE began as an experiment by two criminal justice innovators--both advocates of prison-based drug abuse treatment--to try and interrupt the cycle of repeat offending to which drug offenders and other inmates are doomed unless, on release, they have viable employment prospects. o In 4 years, the PRE program has grown from a pilot project involving one correctional institution and nine participating employers to a program that involves more than 300 businesses in several correctional institutions across the State. o Employers who participate in PRE are not pressured to hire the inmates they agree to interview, nor are they asked to change company personnel policies or make any commitment beyond involvement in the mock job fairs; program originators cite this practical approach as key to gaining the business community's support. o However, some employers have voluntarily altered their policies and practices with regard to hiring ex-offenders. Participation in PRE helped them see that crime adversely affected their businesses and professions, as well as their communities; it also "humanized" both criminals and corrections, removed the shroud of secrecy associated with hiring ex-offenders, and placed the corporate community in a position to effect social change. Although other corrections departments have indicated an interest in replicating the program, they should be aware of the costs and time involved. PRE's employer recruitment has been labor intensive, with more than 70 percent of the operating budget allocated to salaries and benefits of staff and contractual employees. It has also required a leader with charisma and connections to the business community and public funding sources. ------------------------------ On October 25, 1995 in Burnet, Texas, scores of women, clutching painstakingly completed job applications, lined an unadorned hallway outside the multipurpose room, anxious for the Project Re- Enterprise (PRE) job fair to begin. One middle- aged woman, terrified but guardedly optimistic about her first job interview, stated that, although never employed, she had developed a number of skills over the years that might attract an employer's attention. The other women were nervous and empathized with their friend. One tried to offer some support, "Relax, we've been preparing for this for weeks. We'll all do just fine." Inside the multipurpose room representatives from more than 20 area employers gathered--Ed Moore from Tracor, Leroy Wormley from IBM, Etta Moore Aguilar from Lone Star Girl Scout Council, Ann Meugge from Burnet Dry Cleaners, and Pete Wisener from Hill Country Health, to name a few. John Etchieson, president of Central Texas' Better Business Bureau,[1] was working the crowd--many attendees were members of his organization. Employer representatives discussed last week's University of Texas football game and the latest economic forecasts over a continental breakfast. After morning coffee, they reviewed their interview schedules, took seats at their company tables, and signaled their readiness to begin. As the doors swung open, anticipation filled the room. To the keen observer, something clearly was unusual about this job fair. The job seekers did not wander from table to table; instead, on the half hour, they regularly moved to keep prescheduled appointments with employers. The eyecatching corporate booths normally found at job fairs were not in evidence, and while the human resource officers representing each firm seemed well prepared, the typical company marketing materials were noticeably absent. At the end of the day PRE staff, employer representatives, and job seekers agreed that the event had been successful--yet applicants received no job offers. In fact, in the 16 job fairs sponsored by PRE over 3 years, not one employer has hired an interviewee on the spot. This Program Focus defines the PRE program and discusses its formation, operations, and funding of at least six such fairs annually throughout Texas. It also highlights signs of the program's success, questions about its future, and options for its replication elsewhere. What Is Project Re-Enterprise? Although it seemed to share elements of an employment program for displaced homemakers, the October 25 event was actually a mock job fair for women offenders at the Burnet Unit, one of Texas' substance abuse felony punishment facilities. PRE is an informal education program administered by the Crime Prevention Institute (CPI)[2] for male and female inmates, employers, and the public. Although not a job placement program, PRE assists inmates in completing job applications and provides interviewing practice in the classroom as well as in the intensive setting of the mock job fair, where the norm is six interviews per inmate with employers from the community. PRE employers have an opportunity to provide a public service and learn more about the skills and qualifications of a potential labor pool; all offenders participating in PRE return to their community within 60 days or less. The program puts a human face on the criminal justice system. Each business owner or human resource officer[3] who participates in PRE is also a Texas citizen with an opinion about offenders and the criminal justice system. Through face-to-face interviews they learn that, along with criminal backgrounds, inmates have names, faces, and educational and work histories. For many of these citizens, PRE provides their first "behind bars" experience, which may alter their preconceptions about criminals and corrections. ------------------------------ NIJ-NIC-OCE Collaborate on Offender Programs In an earlier Program Focus, Work in American Prisons: Joint Ventures With the Private Sector, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) announced a renewed commitment to work together on a number of initiatives to assist offenders in learning job skills and ultimately become employed. Since then, another ally--the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Correctional Education (OCE), has joined in this effort. In the past year, the three agencies have demonstrated the synergistic value of collaboration. NIC's Office of Correctional Job Training and Placement has developed a data base of more than one thousand agencies that provide job skills training and job counseling, development, and placement services. NIC is working with NIJ, OCE, and other agencies to develop a curriculum for service providers. NIJ, NIC, and OCE have pooled limited funds to jointly produce at least seven publications highlighting promising approaches in offender training, life skills education, and job placement. This Program Focus is the first publication in this series. At the outset these agencies recognized that success would depend on involving other Federal agencies, State and local governments, and private and not-for-profit organizations. To this end, NIC convened several meetings with numerous agencies. These sessions have been critical to short- and long-term strategy development. NIJ has engaged the most critical and historically untapped partner to this effort--the corporate community. In September 1996, NIJ will host a first-of-its-kind national conference, "It's Our Business: A National Corporate Summit on Investment in Criminal Justice Solutions." At this gathering, business leaders who have hired ex- offenders, are involved in offender training, or are engaged in private sector prison industries will encourage their colleagues to follow their lead. NIC and OCE will co-sponsor this event. Last year we as directors of the three agencies asked our staffs to take a fresh look at traditional approaches. They have succeeded. At this juncture they--and we--are faced with the challenge of sustaining movement on the continuum from this success to significant impact. We are committed to meeting the challenge. Jeremy Travis Director National Institute of Justice Morris Thigpen Director National Institute of Corrections Richard Smith Director Office of Correctional Education ------------------------------ How Project Re-Enterprise Came About PRE was the brainchild of Robb Southerland, a former member of the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (TCADA),[4] and John Bonner, then warden of the Kyle Unit, Texas' first in-prison therapeutic drug treatment facility.[5] Southerland and other TCADA members worked hard to secure legislative passage of Texas' 1991 drug treatment initiative, which gave rise to the pilot program at Kyle. Having "labored in vineyards" to bring about this policy change, Southerland wanted to work with Bonner to follow the initiative through to implementation. When the Kyle Unit opened in May 1992, Bonner reflected, "We should be proud of what we have put together here, but let's not kid ourselves. We are going to have to call off the party soon. It won't be long before these guys get out, and if they can't find jobs, you can bet that, despite all we have done, they will be back." Bonner and Southerland thought about how most people find jobs and how employers recruit them. They considered adapting the job fair concept used by high schools and colleges to a correctional setting, and Southerland developed a marketing strategy: I knew that I couldn't go to the employment community and say, you should hire an ex-offender just because it is the right thing to do.' But I thought the employment community would buy an educational opportunity for themselves as well as for the inmates. We could offer employers an opportunity to test the reality of the criminal justice system against their perceptions. I was sure that I could make the sale as long as there were no strings attached--no commitment to hire or to change their personnel policies. We had no idea whether or not this idea was worthwhile, but we knew it was worth trying. The first mock job fair held at Kyle was an experiment. The first clue that we might be onto something was when I noticed that some employers, after winding up the mock interview, gave their business cards to offenders so they would have a community contact when released. At the end of the day, several employers asked us when we were going to do this again. Of course, we hadn't thought about that and really had no plan. Word of PRE's simple but novel approach has spread rapidly throughout the Texas business community and has received considerable local and national coverage from the print and broadcast media. What Does It Take To "Pull Off" a PRE Mock Job Fair? Big ideas, simple in concept, have a way of luring people into the belief that implementation is easy. Anyone considering instituting a PRE-like program would do well to recognize that a labor- intensive effort is required to carry out and sustain it over time. In fact, representatives from a few correctional systems have visited PRE with the intention of replicating the program, but, to date, none has attempted to do so.[6] The first challenge may be funding. Funding Since the first mock job fair was a "two-man show," it required that Southerland take time from his personal business endeavors to recruit employers and that Bonner handle institutional logistics. When the business community expressed a desire for the program's continuation, both men knew that an effort beyond their capabilities was required to sustain and expand it to other institutions. The Crime Prevention Institute applied to the Texas Board of Criminal Justice[7] (TBCJ) for funding; in 1993, CPI was awarded a $450,000, 22-month contract. PRE was launched. On September 1, 1995, a 2-year renewal contract was issued for $495,000, with a string attached-- CPI was required to raise $150,000 in private funds for future support of the program. PRE's TBCJ contract renewal hearing was atypical. In addition to Southerland, CPI's chairman, two others testified: Red McCombs, a well-known Texas entrepreneur with letters of support from the business community in hand, and Frank Henry, a crime survivor. Career correctional administrators might ask themselves if they can remember any occasion when a member of the business community and a victim of crime testified for continued funding of a corrections program. The TBCJ vote to renew PRE's contract was unanimous. Other State and local jurisdictions considering implementation of a similar program might find the contract's costs prohibitive. The budget should be put in perspective. Moreover, the budget contained some startup costs, for items such as furniture and equipment, that are one- time-only expenditures. Generally, CPI requires 4 weeks of intensive preparation to stage each of the six mock job fairs held each year. The crux of the program is employer recruitment. Although Texas is larger in geographic area than the 13 original colonies, institutions served by PRE are found in an area not larger than the relatively small State of Maryland. Ultimately, significant cost reductions for program replication could result from consideration of the following questions: o Currently, are there correctional staff whose job it is to find jobs for offenders? o If so, could they be trained to take a different approach--working in close partnership with the business community? o Is there a business leader or organization that would be willing to take on this program as a public service? The key to the program's operation is the interaction among the correctional institution, the program's administration (in Texas, the Crime Prevention Institute), and the business community. The Correctional Institution's Role Once a warden agrees to having his correctional institution become a PRE host site, CPI's executive director, Melissa Houston,[8] begins planning and scheduling to make the mock job fair a reality. Houston, assisted by CPI staff, works in tandem with offenders participating in the program and with institutional custody, treatment, and education staff. To host a mock job fair, corrections personnel need to accommodate certain PRE requirements: inmates attending the event must wear laundered, pressed uniforms and be clean-shaven and neatly groomed; in addition, releases must be signed and arrangements made for all inmates to lunch at one sitting. "Contrary to popular perceptions, inmates know that their appearance is important," said Houston. "The hurdle is to convince the correctional administration and staff that this is a necessity and that their cooperation is needed." The host facility is obliged to make several other arrangements: providing a continental breakfast for corporate volunteers during the morning orientation, beverages in the interview area throughout the day, and a buffet-style lunch; setting up interview tables and hanging company signs in the interview area; and setting up tables and chairs, a microphone, and a podium in the breakfast and lunch area. After the event, a crew is also required to break down this furniture and equipment. Security staff must provide employers with safe parking and access to telephones and bathrooms, and they are asked to be flexible with regard to inmate count time so that it does not occur during the fair. Finally, corrections staff need to ensure that the front-gate processing of corporate representatives is accomplished smoothly. According to Houston: The degree of institutional organization and cooperation varies from facility to facility. With some it is just a matter of running down a checklist the day before the event with a corrections administrator. At the other end of the spectrum, it may require an entire day of negotiation with the corrections staff to get things done. The Crime Prevention Institute's Role The preparation for each mock job fair includes employer recruitment, confirmation, and orientation; inmate preparation; coordination of inmate skills with employer labor needs to set up interview schedules; and orchestration of an employer-participant lunchtime presentation on the criminal justice system. After the mock interviews are conducted, CPI staff evaluate the event. Employer recruitment. As one might imagine, employer recruitment is the most challenging and time-consuming aspect of the PRE program. During the first 2 years, Southerland "knocked on doors" and did all recruiting in person. For those considering replication, a key question is whether this program is dependent on one dynamic leader. Approximately 20 business owners who were early PRE participants were surveyed. One question asked was, "Initially, if your local warden had called and asked you to spend 1 day helping inmates hone their job-seeking skills, what would have been your response?" Every employer answered negatively. One said, "We get beg calls all the time; we have to be selective as to how we spend our community service time." All indicated that Southerland's personal request was responsible for their decision to participate. Along with charisma and an unwavering belief in PRE, Southerland possesses the ability to envision criminal justice solutions--with the business community playing a key role--to the problem of recidivism. He readily admits that he used the statewide network of business and political connections that he had developed over the years to recruit employers for the program. About midway through PRE's third year, Southerland began gradually to shift employer recruitment responsibility to staff. By this time he had successfully recruited more than 150 employers and received considerable media exposure; in addition, some employers had begun to make word-of-mouth referrals to their colleagues and associates. Thus, when Southerland delegated recruitment responsibility to staff, he had already created acceptance of the program within the business community. Today, employer recruitment is almost exclusively a staff function. CPI's employer recruitment is a full-time occupation, but it has shifted from the in-person, one-on-one approach to telephone soliciting. "It is very difficult to do over the telephone," says Houston. "There are about five rejections for every employer who accepts. Some recruiters are more successful than others. There is a real technique to it. The pitch is that we are seeking a community service contribution that will take only 1 day of an employer's time; we are not asking that the company hire an offender or change its personnel policy, and we reveal the names of other businesses in the community that are PRE participants." Presentations to civic and profession-al groups, large and small, are made regularly throughout the year as part of CPI's education mission. Experience has shown that few employers volunteer in response to this recruitment approach. Currently, CPI is reassessing its employer marketing strategy to determine how best to achieve optimum results. It appears that future efforts may involve a hybrid approach. Inmate preparation. About 3 weeks prior to a scheduled mock job fair, CPI staff begin to prepare offenders for the event. The process opens with a half-day session devoted to filling out a "generic" job application form. During this time a number of inmate questions are discussed, such as: o I have never had a job other than in prison; what should I write on the application? o How do I answer the "felony" question? o What do I put down for salary? I don't get paid for my prison job. o I left my last job because I was arrested; how should I answer the question concerning my reason for leaving? Offenders also have difficulty remembering dates and find this aspect of completing an application form particularly stressful. At the conclusion of the first session, inmates complete a skills survey that is matched later to employer needs. This practice helps to make the upcoming practice interviews more meaningful to both parties. Two weeks before the mock job fair, CPI staff meet with inmates for two additional half-day sessions during which offenders receive assistance in completing actual job applications provided by each employer with whom they are scheduled to interview. These applications are clearly stamped, "For Education Purposes." Time is also spent role- playing the upcoming mock job interview. The day preceding the PRE event, CPI staff meet a final time with inmates to answer any last-minute questions. They also meet with a corrections administrator to confirm that all logistics have been taken care of. "It is critical that everything run smoothly and professionally," says Houston. "We know that our employers will not return if they perceive disorganization or feel that their time is being wasted." Employer confirmation and scheduling. Confirming employer participation prior to the PRE mock job fair is not a pro forma task; it requires approximately 3 working days. Some employers may cancel, so replacements must be recruited. Another 3 days are needed to schedule or match employer labor need profiles to inmate skill surveys. CPI staff believe that computerizing this process would save time. Employer orientation. Business owners or employer representatives assigned to participate in the mock job fair receive no training in advance of the event. They simply receive mailed directions to the host correctional facility, including expected time of arrival and other relevant information. To ensure that everything runs smoothly, CPI staff arrive at the institution well ahead of the 8:30 a.m. start time. Arriving employers are greeted by CPI staff in the visitor reception area and escorted to the room where continental breakfast is served. After welcoming remarks by CPI staff and correctional administrators, a brief orientation is provided. Employers are given a list of the applicants they are scheduled to interview and reminded that adherence to the 30-minute interview schedule is essential. Employers are encouraged to be honest with inmates and also cautioned against raising unrealistic expectations through remarks such as, "You're really great; I'd hire you in a minute." The mock job interviews. Following orientation, employers report to their interviewing stations, which are marked by large signs hanging from the ceiling. While participating employers are never asked to hire inmates on release, CPI provides each business participant with information about existing incentives to hire ex-offenders (see "Texas Benefits for Hiring Ex-Offenders" and "Federal Bonding Program"). Each interview session lasts 30 minutes. The first 20 minutes are spent on the actual job interview, during which employers ask typical tough questions, e.g., "Why should we hire you over all the other people applying for this job?" In the final 10 minutes of the interview, applicants are provided with feedback on their performance. John Etchieson of the Better Business Bureau advised one woman during her interview, "You appeared very nervous during the interview. I suggest that you acknowledge that you are nervous and explain why. You might say, `I'm really talented and have a lot to offer, but I am not sure I can express it to you.'" In addition, Etchieson suggested that the applicant concentrate on communicating the work skills that would make her valuable for the job and avoid discussing personality traits. At the conclusion of the interview, the employer completes a short written evaluation of the applicant's performance that is returned to the inmate on the following day in a classroom setting. Evaluations are used as teaching tools. Lunch. Midway through the interview day, both employers and inmates break for lunch.[9] During this time, employers have an opportunity to exchange their impressions of the inmates and the PRE experience in general. CPI always arranges to have a lunchtime presentation on some aspect of the criminal justice system. At the October 1995 Burnet PRE event, the women put on a skit for the employers about their recovery from drug addiction. Evaluation. On the day following the PRE mock job fair, Houston returns to the facility and meets with offenders for a final time. The purpose of this session is to review the employers' written evaluations of interview performances. ------------------------------ Texas Benefits For Hiring Ex-Offenders Refunds and Credits for Hiring More Workers Reimbursements for Providing On-the-Job Training Free Fidelity Bonding for Unbondable Employees An employer may become eligible for these benefits upon hiring an ex-offender. Basic information about nine employer benefit programs provided by the Texas State and Federal Governments is shown in a table available in print copy or in the Acrobat file of this document, but it is not included in the ASCII text. Some of the programs target ex-offenders explicitly. Others focus on populations in which ex-offenders are well represented. For example, almost 13 percent of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice inmates are veterans. Similarly, many ex-offenders, especially women, have low incomes and dependent children; they may be eligible to receive Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). Thus, a new State program that allows employers who hire AFDC recipients to receive tax refunds is described. ------------------------------ The Business Community Role The business community participates on a voluntary basis and is only asked to help offenders polish their job-seeking skills. As an ancillary result of the PRE experience, some employers voluntarily change their policies and practices related to hiring ex-offenders, others do not, and some cannot due to the nature of their businesses. But as the following examples illustrate, PRE participation has led to a deep commitment to the program. Red McCombs Automotive Company. Red McCombs' career in the automotive business began in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1950. In 1958 he relocated to San Antonio, where he became partner and then owner of Red McCombs Automotive Company. Today McCombs' automotive operations--ownership of 30 auto franchises and partnership in 10 others-- are the largest in Texas and rank sixth in the United States. His business interest in the automotive industry continues, but he expanded his portfolio to include sports, real estate, oil and gas, broadcasting, ranching, finance, and insurance operations. McCombs became an ardent supporter of PRE after reading a newspaper article about the program: I was so impressed with the simplicity and practicality of the approach. After reading the article, I immediately picked up the telephone, contacted the Crime Prevention Institute, and asked if I could help. You are a business person with your head in the sand if you are not concerned about crime and its impact on your business, your customers, and you as an individual. For about 5 years prior to reading the newspaper article, I had been concerned about crime and the growth of the prison population. While I was concerned, I didn't know of any way to plug into the problem and make a difference--Project Re-Enterprise provided me with that. Since his involvement with PRE, McCombs has raised the visibility of the program in the business community and encouraged his colleagues to become involved.10 "It is not a hard sell. It is so practical. Look at these people, they are dead in the water without a job. Without a job, the taxpayers can count on supporting them in correctional institutions indefinitely," said McCombs. Beyond promoting further business involvement, McCombs has publicly committed to hiring 10 parolees per year.[11] "I am committed to PRE because I know it is the right thing to do, and I feel good doing it," said McCombs. "However, I would be lying if I said that altruism was my only motivation. I have a professional stake in doing what I can to reduce crime. I cannot tell you the number of people that come into my showrooms and leave without a car. It is not because they cannot afford the monthly car payments. Car insurance premiums kill a lot of my sales. Customers would be shocked to learn how much of their insurance premiums are to offset car-theft risk." Texas Instruments, Inc. Texas Instruments (TI) is a Dallas-based national company that employs 31,000 people in Texas. Keith Thomas, Human Resources Director for TI-Austin publicly announced that the company had changed its policy against hiring felons as a result of its PRE experience. "The old policy of not hiring anyone convicted of a felony for at least 1 year after release has now been changed to consider applicants for immediate employment if the felony conviction did not involve violence."[12] Fluor Daniel. Fluor Daniel is an international construction engineering company and a participant in the PRE program. A human resource officer for Fluor Daniel, Frank Henry, remembers that his first PRE encounter was made with great reluctance. "The only reason I went was because my manager asked me to," said Henry. "I was none too thrilled about the idea. It would be my first time in a prison. I was not sure what I would be faced with and how I was going to cope with it all, given what had happened to Helen." Helen, Frank Henry's late wife, was murdered in July 1985 when David Lee Holland, a 50-year-old un-employed man, robbed the Jefferson Savings and Loan in Beaumont, Texas. Holland was executed in 1993.[13 ] At first I was really overwhelmed with complex emotions too difficult to explain. A change in perspective came over me with each interview. I was impressed with the inmates' openness, frankness, and the fact that they seemed so impressed that people from private industry cared about them. I realized that these people were not too different than me. Perhaps they had not had the best guidance growing up, and they had definitely made the wrong choices along the way. I left wanting to do what I could to help. Today, Henry not only attends several PRE events each year, but on behalf of Fluor Daniel, he has hired [18] ex-offenders. "I have found them to be excellent employees. As far as I know, none has gotten in trouble again. All remain employed with us or have moved onto jobs with some of our competitors." Henry reflects on his change of heart. "My opinion used to be hardlined. I was a lock em up and throw away the key guy. Now I realize that my attitude was just not realistic. Most of these folks are coming home and will become our neighbors. If we don't get involved and attempt to turn this around, the alternative is that they will clean our house out, rob us, or worse." Capitol Chevrolet. Capitol Chevrolet in Austin, Texas, has been a family-owned business for 60 years. William Cromwell currently manages the business, which employs 135 employees and sells over 2,500 new and used vehicles annually. William Cromwell could not have known that his initial PRE experience would be pivotal. As a first-time visitor to a prison, he was surprised by an atmosphere that was more pleasant than anticipated and by the quality of the inmates participating in the program. Other than these revelations, however, the day was rather uneventful. Cromwell's last interviewee of the day was Robert Hall. The interview was quite unremarkable--much like all the others that day. Hall was not scheduled for release in the near future, so Cromwell really did not give him a second thought. Two or 3 months later, on his first day of release, Hall walked into the Capitol Chevrolet showroom and asked to speak to the owner. Cromwell said: It was hard for me to place him at first. Hall wanted a job, and I decided to give him a chance. I admired his courage and I felt that, if I could get him into a job that would pay the bills, it would help him get out of this vicious cycle of drugs and crime. The in-prison therapeutic community at Kyle did a good job with Hall. He had a good attitude, he didn't have a chip on his shoulder, and he was clearly grateful for a second chance. We put him on as a porter. Through weekly payroll deductions, we arranged for him to get an inexpensive used car so that he would have reliable transportation to and from work. It was a good investment. Hall was an excellent employee. It was a win-win situation for Capitol Chevrolet and Hall. He did so well that we later moved him to the lube rack. Three months later Hall reluctantly reported to Cromwell's office. "He had a rather sorry look on his face," observed Cromwell. "Hall told me that he got a better job offer from one of my competitors. He said that he felt as though he was letting me down. Hall was a model employee--a real performer. I was sad to lose him but, at the same time, happy that he was succeeding and that life was turning around for him." Hall and Cromwell have remained friends. "Not long after Hall left Capitol Chevrolet, he got married. I received an invitation to his wedding and was thrilled to go. Robert Hall, through Project Re- Enterprise, has given me the opportunity to see one person on both sides of the prison fence." ------------------------------ U.S. Department of Labor's Federal Bonding Program No Bond; No Job! Barrier Removed The Federal Bonding Program (FBP) provides individual fidelity bonds to employers for job applicants who are (or may be) denied coverage by commercial carriers because of a: o Record of arrest, conviction, or imprisonment. o History of alcohol or drug abuse. o Lack of an employment history. o Dishonorable discharge. What is Bonding? Many employers carry insurance to protect themselves against employee dishonesty by purchasing insurance called fidelity bonding. However, this commercial insurance usually will not cover ex-offenders and other persons whose personal backgrounds are questionable. As a result, these job applicants are labeled "not bondable" and routinely denied job opportunities. FBP coverage is provided at NO COST to the employer or the job applicant. Any job can be covered. The bond issued has NO DEDUCTIBLE amount of liability for the employer to assume. How Does the Federal Bonding Program Work? Eligibility: Fidelity bonding may be provided for any individual who is not commercially bondable, not self-employed, has received a firm job offer (for a job that offers full-time, steady work with reasonable expectation of permanence), and is qualified for the job. Application: Coverage is provided by the Aetna Casualty and Surety Company through FBP, which is administered by the State Employment Security Agency. Either the job applicant or the prospective employer (on behalf of an applicant or employee) may apply for fidelity bonding insurance at any local office of the State Employment Security Agency. There are more than 1,700 of these offices throughout the United States, its possessions and territories. These offices often are identified as the State Job Service or the State Employment Service. Processing: The application procedure is simple and quick. Bonding coverage becomes effective immediately when: o The authorized State or local employment security office personnel have certified the bond. The process usually takes only a day or two. o The applicant has begun work. Coverage: Coverage usually begins on the first day of work for new employees. The bond is mailed to the employer by Aetna. A representative of your local employment security office can help you match the amount of the FBP coverage to the exact theft risk needs of the potential employee's job. The bond may cover a period of up to 12 months. However, at the end of the FBP coverage, if the employer cannot arrange for bonding through his/her own insurance company or through another commercial underwriter, The Aetna Casualty and Surety Company will make available bonding at a regular commercial rate for anyone who has been bonded without default under the FBP. How Successful is the Program? A recent report showed that: o About 33,000 bonds have been issued. o The default rate for the FBP is under 2 percent. This means that claims have been paid on fewer than one in 50 bondees. o Employers of FBP bondees have expressed a high degree of satisfaction with their performance. For more information about any aspect of the FBP, you may call or write: Joe Seiler, Program Director The Federal Bonding Program The McLaughlin Company 1725 DeSales Street, N.W., Suite 900 Washington, D.C. 20036 202-293-5566 800-233-2258 ------------------------------ Measures of Success To the question of program evaluation, Southerland responds, "There are a lot of things I cannot prove. There is one thing that I can. When the employment community in Texas is given credible information about the realities of the criminal justice system, then offered a way to participate, it will do so voluntarily." The growth of participating employers, from 9 to over 300, in less than 4 years is evidence of Southerland's claim (see "Current Employer-Participants in PRE"). Another sign is the unanimous support received from the Texas Board of Criminal Justice for refunding the program. TBCJ member, Ellen Halbert,[14] explains the board's rationale: As a board member I attended the first Project Re- Enterprise event at Kyle. It was interesting to see how terrified some of the corporate executives were that day. I could tell that many thought they would never leave that prison alive. But, I knew it was an exciting new approach and that something good would come from it. There was proof of it at the end of day. You should have seen the look on the employers' faces as they left; it was a look of conversion. The exponential growth of public and private employer support for the program made the TBCJ vote to renew the contract an easy one. While CPI does not ask employers to evaluate their PRE experience on site, in June 1995 RBH Direct[15] surveyed participating employers[16] regarding their PRE experience and reported these findings: o PRE was rated as somewhat or highly effective by 96.7 percent of employers. o The possibility of hiring ex-offenders was rated as somewhat or greatly enhanced, as a result of their PRE experience, by 76.4 percent of employers. o Nearly all (98.9 percent) employers indicated that they would like to see the PRE program continue; 97.8 percent said they would recommend the program to their business colleagues. o PRE was the first criminal justice program in which 69.9 percent of employers had ever participated. Because PRE is not an offender job placement program, the program cannot be evaluated on the basis of post-participation changes in personnel policies or subsequent hires of ex-offenders. Neither can it equitably be evaluated on the basis of inmate job placements, job retention, or recidivism. PRE's goal is simply to provide an educational experience for both the employer and offender. Consequently, the scope of a fair evaluation is quite narrow. Inmates Give PRE High Marks Participating offenders are surveyed by CPI staff to determine their perceptions of the PRE experience. A review of their written responses indicates that inmates derive great benefit, and comments made by offenders in a focus group session held after the October 1995 PRE event support this claim. All agreed that exposure to different employer interviewing styles was a challenge and that individual employer assessments of inmate strengths and weaknesses were helpful. Most inmates believed that they had fared better than expected. "After the second or third interview, it was smooth sailing for me," said Vanessa.[17] Offenders indicated that CPI had prepared them well; they were cautioned that participating employers were likely to be more pleasant than those they might encounter after release. "Many of the company people warned us of the same thing, and that is good to remember. It is so easy to get discouraged by one bad experience," said Cheryl. To its credit, PRE provides opportunities to inmate participants that normally would be unavailable in the general community. Rarely, if ever, is anyone given the chance to have at least six practice interviews in 1 day, with immediate performance feedback. Educational institutions and organizations serving displaced workers could consider following this model. Outlook Project Re-Enterprise is entering its fifth year of sustained growth in employer participation with many challenges ahead.[18] The decision to hire an ex-offender takes place in the privacy of a company's personnel office. Employment of ex- offenders is a taboo subject for many reasons. Often there is a legitimate fear that if the public knows that a company employs ex-offenders, business might be lost. Others do not discuss it openly because of their desire not to undermine an ex-offender's chance for a fresh start. An obvious consequence of PRE is that it allows the business community to "come out of the closet" safely. PRE provides an open forum for interested employers without the expectation to hire or change personnel policies. The cloak of secrecy is removed at a PRE mock job fair. While offering the inmate a valuable learning experience, PRE gives employers the opportunity to work toward finding solutions to serious social problems in common cause with their colleagues and the criminal justice system. Some departments of corrections may find the cost of the Texas program prohibitive.[19] However, correctional administrators and business leaders should be encouraged to think creatively and determine whether the model can be implemented for less in their jurisdictions. Beyond budgetary concerns, few criticisms of the program have been heard. One criticism of PRE has been its almost exclusive focus on Texas' in-prison drug treatment facilities--without a commensurate effort in the general prison population. Southerland explains, "Some of the best ideas are sown and germinated by chance. Project Re-Enterprise was born at the Kyle Unit, Texas' first in-prison drug treatment community. After it proved meritorious, we found that treatment facilities were more willing to become host sites than were traditional institutions. And frankly, given my background and TCADA service, my best connections were in the treatment community. The landscape is changing; we are gradually moving into juvenile facilities, the State Jail Division, and prisons. We would love to serve every correctional institution in Texas, but, obviously, funding is a constraint." Another critic suggests that interviewing without a commitment to hire is not enough. Southerland responds, "Voluntary involvement without commitment was the key that opened the door and is responsible for the success of Project Re- Enterprise." Yet, some believe a stronger working relationship between Texas' Project RIO[20] and PRE should be encouraged by funders of both programs. While Project RIO provides an information booth at most PRE events, the two programs have not exchanged lists naming PRE employers (who voluntarily express a willingness to hire ex-offenders) and Project RIO employers (who are known to employ offenders). Both programs could benefit from a closer, more cooperative association. Most observers believe that PRE's success to date outweighs its shortcomings, but the program is currently at a critical juncture. PRE faces future challenges: Can it become self-sustaining,[21] expand to serve more offenders, and satisfy new demands made by participating employers? Many corporate executives now involved in PRE are interested in investing more heavily in criminal justice solutions beyond mock job fairs. To this end, the State Comptroller would like to channel the corporate interest created by PRE toward further development of private-sector prison industries in Texas.[22] Others would like to cultivate business involvement in victim assistance, inmate vocational, and juvenile mentoring programs. As PRE gathers force and momentum, the Crime Prevention Institute is more than willing to play matchmaker. "We are not going to turn this problem around 50,000 people at a time. It is going to be one-by-one," advises Southerland. "Until we understand this, we are doomed to repeat our past failures over and over again." ------------------------------ Notes [1] The Central Texas Better Business Bureau has 2,500 members. [2] The Crime Prevention Institute, Inc. (CPI) was created in August 1992 as a nonprofit research and educational corporation that seeks to address the underlying causes of crime. Through various projects, such as Project Re-Enterprise, CPI seeks to educate the business community, media, policymakers, and the general public about the relationship between drug addiction and crime. [3] CPI reports that human resource officers constitute approximately 60 percent of PRE participants, while business owners make up the remaining 40 percent. It should also be noted that human resource professionals representing public and private employers, as well as those who are prohibited from hiring ex-felons by statute or regulation, participate in PRE. [4] Robb Southerland is a lifelong resident of Texas. In 1985, Southerland was appointed to the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (TCADA). He was reappointed to the position in 1991. Southerland served as both Chairman and Vice Chairman of TCADA, as well as Chairman of the Criminal Justice Issues Committee, until his resignation in August 1992. After his resignation, Southerland founded CPI. [5] The Kyle Unit previously operated as a pre- release unit in the Texas correctional system and was privately operated by Wackenhut. In May 1992 Kyle became Texas' first in-prison therapeutic drug treatment facility. [6] There appear to be two reasons that thwart replication. First, correctional administrators report difficulty in gaining entry to the business community (see "Employer Recruitment"). A second confounding factor appears to be the labor- intensive nature of sustaining the program over time (see "The Crime Prevention Institute's Role"). [7] The Texas Board of Criminal Justice is com-posed of nine nonsalaried members appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, to serve staggered 6-year terms. The statutory role of the Board is to govern the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. It employs the Department's executive director and develops and implements policies that clearly define the respective responsibilities of the Department's board and staff. [8] As executive director, Melissa Houston implements PRE in various correctional institutions served by CPI. [9] Employers and inmates eat separately. [10] In February 1996 Red McCombs received the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Governor's Volunteer Service Award in recognition of his employer recruitment efforts and general support of Project Re-Enterprise in the business community. [11] McCombs reports that he will reevaluate this policy after 1 year. [12] See Johannes, Laura, "Mock Job Fair Yields Not- So-Mock Job for Prison Inmates," The Wall Street Journal, Southwest Edition, August 31, 1994. [13] See Stewart, Richard, "Attitude Adjustment: Crime Hit Close to Home, But He Helps Convicts," Houston Chronicle, September 10, 1995, 1E; and Henry, Frank, "Reclaiming Lives: To Avoid Being a Victim, Help Change a Felon," The Dallas Morning News, January 29, 1995 (Home Final Edition), p. 6J. [14] In 1991 Ellen Halbert was appointed to the Texas Board of Criminal Justice (TBCJ). She was the first victim of crime to serve on the board. Halbert's presence on the board has resulted in the expansion of victim services to probation, corrections, and parole. In 1992 and 1993 the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Victims of Crime presented Halbert with an award for her outstanding service and dedication on behalf of crime victims. [15] RBH Direct is a private accounting and consulting firm that conducts, inter alia, survey research. [16] RBH Direct conducted a telephone survey of employers who had participated as volunteer PRE interviewers. The survey was conducted between June 15 and 21, 1995. Of the 183 companies who had participated in PRE, RBH identified 137 employers who had conducted interviews for inmates and eliminated 46 companies from the sample who had only provided information booths and not conducted interviews. Of the 137 employers who had conducted inmate interviews, 93 were surveyed. [17] Actual names of inmates are not used to protect their privacy. [18] Although employer participation has increased significantly, the number of inmates served appears to be on the decline. Almost 675 inmates participated in PRE in 1994; in the following year, only 410 offenders received the benefit of the program. 19 CPI conducts six mock job fairs each year for an annual contract cost of $247,500. Using inmate attendance figures for 1994 and 1995, on average, 542 offenders participate in the program on a yearly basis. Hence, the average cost of administering the program per inmate is approximately $460. [20] Project RIO (Re-Integration of Offenders) is a multiagency initiative involving the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Institutional Division, Pardons and Paroles Division, and the Texas Employment Commission. Project RIO's mission is to assist offenders in finding employment through in-prison and community training, support services, and referrals. Project RIO derives its funding from the Texas Legislature's general revenue funds. Project Re-Enterprise's funding source is the Texas Board of Criminal Justice and private donations. [21] If PRE is to become self-sustaining, monetary and in-kind support from the private sector must be cultivated. See "Funding." As a condition of CPI's current TBCJ contract, it must raise $150,000 from private sources to support PRE. In addition, Houston's Rotary Club has recently announced that it will adopt PRE as one of its community service projects. [22] Sharp, John. Gaining Ground, A Report From the Texas Performance Review: Progress and Reform in Texas Government, Austin, Texas: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, November 1994, Vol. 2, p. 425. ------------------------------ About this Study This Program Focus was written by Marilyn C. Moses, program manager, National Institute of Justice. To receive further information about Project Re-Enterprise, contact Ms. Moses at the National Institute of Justice, 633 Indiana Avenue, N.W., Room 805, Washington, D.C. 20531. Telephone: 202-514-6205; e-mail: moses@ojp.usdoj.gov ------------------------------ Findings and conclusions reported here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. ------------------------------ The National Institute of Justice is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Office for Victims of Crime. The National Institute of Corrections is a component of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The Office of Correctional Education is a division of the Office of Vocational and Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education.