U.S. Attorney’s Office staff strive to make path to re-entry easier for returning citizens

MIAMI - Hundreds of job seekers recently attended Miami-Dade County's 305 Second Chance Job & Resource Expo at the Main Library in downtown Miami and United States Attorney's Office staff were present to provide helpful community resources.

Many job seekers previously had been in prison. That is a major impediment to landing a job with a good company, but couple that with a lack of education and these job seekers are starting out with two strikes against them. That's why it's so critical to reduce employment barriers so returning citizens have a chance to become productive. Otherwise, they are much more likely to reoffend and end up right back in prison.

"Many people we saw at the expo were so grateful for the opportunity to apply for jobs and get resource information in one location," said Law Enforcement Coordination Specialist Mark McKinney, U.S. Attorney's Office. "You can't help but feel inspired and want to help them as best you can."

Approximately 25 employers were onsite to take applications and in some instances conduct on-the-spot interviews. Also available were social services, health and wellness, educational and vocational training, and resume development resources.

"We can bring someone on in as little as a week, depending on the position," said a recruiting specialist with a local community organization. "Certain positions such as a preschool teacher may need an associate or bachelor's degree. It just depends on the job they are trying to get."

In some instances, a criminal record could impact certain job opportunities for returning citizens. However, the Job & Resource Expo showed that there are positions that could be a match for a number of returning citizens. Also, a couple of government programs give prospective employers financial incentives to hire returning citizens-either through bonds or tax credits.

"There appears to be momentum toward helping returning citizens find a living wage and that's a good thing," said Law Enforcement Coordination/Community Outreach Section Chief J.D. Smith. "Our office provides resource information to returning citizens and hosts re-entry simulations to educate community members on how difficult re-entry can be. Educating the public is key because many either don't know or don't think about the challenges facing returning citizens. We should want them to succeed because when they do better, our communities do better."

Opportunities to get involved with returning citizens abound.

"We encourage our non-profit and faith-based partners to mentor returning citizens and assist them to overcome re-entry barriers and hurdles," said Smith.

Hundreds of job seekers attended the recent Miami-Dade County's 305 Second Chance Job & Resource Expo at the Main Library in downtown Miami. Pictured above, a returning citizen receives resource information from U.S. Attorney's Office staff.

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