Riverside County, Goodwill Team to Help Former Inmates Find Jobs

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA -- The County Board of Supervisors today approved a five-year, $647,200 contract with Goodwill Industries of Southern California to provide employment services for convicted felons unable to find work on their own.

Under the contract, which will be funded using state grants tied to the Public Safety Realignment Act of 2011, Goodwill will place staff at the Department of Probation's Day Reporting Centers (DRCs) in Riverside and Temecula.

DRCs are considered ``one-stop shop'' service centers focused on rehabilitation of former inmates.

Goodwill will be responsible for all jobs-based re-integration efforts, including assessing each ex-offender's level of education and capabilities.

Workers will be available for financial literacy tutorials, matching recipients with occupational training programs, setting up externships or on-the-job training opportunities, sorting out transportation needs, assisting with resume writing and doing case management to keep users on track, according to the contract terms.

According to the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation, the recidivism rate statewide is just above 50 percent, meaning more than half of those paroled from prison are likely to re-offend within three years and end up back in the penal system.

City News Service contributed to this report.