Officials Hope Work Program Will Reduce Recidivism in Delaware

DOVER, Del. — Probation officials in Delaware are working to lower recidivism rates by enforcing a work program.

More than 70 percent of former inmates end up back in prison within three years of their release, according to national statistics. The National Workforce Development Program is designed to help states reduce that figure.

The U.S. Probation Office in Delaware is holding weekly resume workshops and conducting mock interviews, collecting clothes for probationers to wear to interviews, and replacing magazines in its lobby with employment and training materials. In addition, there is talk of a job fair in the coming year for former inmates so they may network in a market where they are not competing with people who don’t have criminal records.

Many probationers are underemployed or working at or near minimum wage, according to reports, putting them at greater risk for returning to prison. Federal statistics show that inmates who have a job at the beginning of their parole and maintain it until the completion of their parole have a success rate (meaning no new arrests) of 85 percent.

The program assists ex-offenders in getting substantial employment, and offers employers a $2,400 tax credit for each former inmate employed with the business. The probation office also offers support to employers by monitoring former inmates functionality at work, making sure they show up and that they are following probation rules.

Advocates of the program understand that there can be risks involved with hiring probationers, and companies could face criticism. However, they believe the program, by giving probationers economic hope, can help break the cycle of violence and lower the crime rate across the nation.

Twenty-two of the 94 U.S. federal districts have started to implement the Workforce Development Program and 12 more are expected to follow suit in the near future, according to officials.