EMPLOYMENT AND HOUSING MODELS FOR PEOPLE WITH
CRIMINAL RECORDS
B. Diane Williams＊

I. INTRODUCTION
In the United States, people with criminal records spend their lifetimes working to overcome personaland structural barriers to community integration and full participation in society. The prevalence ofcriminal record checks in background screening procedures, the availability of substantial amounts ofcriminal record information to the public, and lack of protection against discrimination poses many
obstacles for people when a person with a criminal record applies for jobs or housing. Most employers andlandlords conduct criminal record checks as part of their background screening and selection processes.
Depending on their jurisdiction, they may obtain information directly from a government criminal record
repository or from a private commercial reporting agency. Criminal records conjure a negative reaction
from the public because of concerns about the risk of a person reoffending. At the point that individuals
have to undergo a criminal record screen, the hope is when the criminal record is reviewed the applicant
would have the opportunity to present evidence of rehabilitation that would be considered and weighedagainst and above the fact that a criminal record exists.
These structural barriers operate as social and legal exclusions that prohibit or limit opportunities forpeople with criminal records to move forward and strive to be productive members of society. Thoughmany of these barriers may only be addressed with law and policy changes that promote second chances,some restrictions may be overcome with the help of community service providers that serve as intermediaries and can make strategic connections for their clients. Many justice-involved individuals who lackresources and support will need assistance to address their personal challenges as well as achieve theirgoals to retain a job and affordable and safe housing.
In the United States, government agencies provide some direct services but they also rely upon
community based organizations to help provide reentry assistance to the justice involved population
because of the great numbers of people in need of service and the intensity of the their service needs. This
paper will discuss employment and housing programme models and services that support the re-entry
needs of people with criminal records. While it is not an exhaustive list of programmes operating in the
United States, these are some that have been recognized nationally for their efficiency, longevity, and successful approaches to helping their clients, many of whom face significant personal challenges and havenumerous needs.

II. EMPLOYMENTUnemployment among the formerly incarcerated is as high as 50 percent, costing the United States’
economy up to $65 billion annually in lost productivity and harming growth.1 People who are out of work
are more likely to commit new crimes and less likely to support their children or other dependents.
Therefore, ensuring everyone who is willing and able to work has a job is an economic and public safety
priority for the U.S. The high demand for services requires collaboration between the public and theprivate sectors.
The United States Department of Labor is the federal agency responsible for fostering, promoting, anddeveloping programmes and services that build and strengthen the economy. The agency provides grants
President Emeritus, Safer Foundation, Chicago, Illinois, United States.

＊

1 Schmitt, J. & Warner, K. (November 2010). Ex‐offenders and the Labor Market, p. 2. Centre for Economic and Policy

Research. Web. Accessed 2016, January 10. <https://cepr.net/documents/publications/ex-offenders-2010-11.pdf>.

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for various types of workforce development programmeming to respond to the needs of community
residents and special populations. A division of the agency, the Employment and Training Administration,
manages the agency’s Reentry Employment Opportunities (REO) initiatives, which are a portfolio of grant
projects that provide pre- and post-release services to both eligible youth and adult formerly incarcerated
populations.
The REO programme provides funding that is authorized as Pilot and Demonstration Projects under
the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998, a federal law that focuses on building the nation’s workforce
system. Adult REO programmes are designed to serve urban centres and areas with the greatest need.
These pilots and demonstration projects are designed to test the effectiveness of successful models andpractices found in community and faith-based environments and other government systems, but have notbeen tested for their adaptability in the public workforce system. The agency works to develop strategies
and partnerships that will facilitate the implementation of successful programmes at the state and local
levels with the ultimate goal of reducing recidivism and improving the workforce outcomes. REO isdesigned to strengthen communities through projects that incorporate mentoring, job training, education,legal aid services, and other comprehensive transitional services.
Grants are awarded through a competitive process open to any not-for-profit organization with 501(c)(3)status, unit of state or local government, or any Indian and Native American entity eligible for grants
under the Workforce Investment Act, particularly in areas with high poverty and crime rates. However,the U.S. workforce system is also supported by other federal agencies that administer grant programmes
to providers who serve justice-involved populations including the U.S. Departments of Justice, Health andHuman Services, Housing and Urban Development, and Education. Additionally, the National Institute ofCorrections (NIC) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons thatprovides training in leadership, management and specialized corrections topics for state, local and federal
corrections agencies and for community organizations that partner with corrections agencies. NIC covers
a broad range of correctional disciplines and topics, including leadership, jail and prison programmeming,
re-entry, and mental health.
Supporting innovation that strengthens and improves community services for the re-entry population isa major contribution of government. The U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Labor
recently partnered with private philanthropic organizations to fund The Integrated Reentry and Employment Strategies Pilot Project that brought together researchers and expert advisors from corrections andworkforce development fields to create a Resource-Allocation and Service-Matching tool. The tool is
expected to help workforce providers focus on the use of assessments to determine a person’s level of job
readiness and risk of reoffending. These assessments also detect individuals’ responsivity needs (such as
mental illness or learning disorders) that can interfere with workforce interventions, and can be used to
inform how supervision and programming resources can be properly prioritized for higher-risk individuals.
Employment programmes across the country are testing the tool and the results will be used to help policymakers, system administrators, and practitioners collaboratively determine whether resources are being
efficiently used to connect the right people to the right workforce interventions at the right time during
the provision of employment services. 2
Programmes that serve workers who are considered “hard to employ” or “hard to serve”3 are typicallyequipped to help their clients manage personal challenges that may interfere with getting and keeping ajob. These personal challenges, which are not necessarily unique to people with criminal histories, may
affect their employability and possibly their commitment to work. Many individuals who come from low
income communities will have a need for immediate income in order to survive and may have unrealistic
expectations about their wage-earning potential. Some clients may have mental health needs and/or drug
2 See the Council of State Governments Justice Centre’s two-page description of the pilot programme at <https://csgjusticecentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Employment-Pilot-Site-Two-Pager.pdf>; The corresponding White Paper, Integrated
Reentry and Employment Strategies: Reducing Recidivism and Promoting Job Readiness is available at <https://csgjusticecentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Final.Reentry-and-Employment.pp_.pdf>.
3 Danziger, Sandra K. & Seefeldt, Kristin S. (2002). “Barriers to employment and the ‘hard to serve’: Implications forservices, sanctions, and time limits.” Focus Vol. 22, No. 1, Special Issue. Available at <http://fordschool.umich.edu/
research/poverty/pdf/foc221-part3-danziger.pdf>.

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or alcohol addiction issues that have to be managed. Some may have limited or no documented work experience while others may be undereducated with low reading and math skills. Finally, they may need assistance securing stable housing, getting identification, transportation, or addressing civil legal issues such as
child support and other family court problems.
When clients are under community supervision and have criminal records there are additional issues
that programmes must be prepared to address. Individuals who are under community supervision may
have competing mandates and agency obligations like reporting to parole or probation, or participating incertain treatment programmes that could interfere with maintaining a fixed work schedule. They may
also have restrictions that limit where they can work or the hours they are available to work. For example,
an individual may have a curfew and cannot take second or third shift jobs. Clients also need to understand their criminal record, what they are obligated to disclose to employers and how to appropriately
answer questions during interviews and on job applications. When considering job opportunities and career
options, programmes must understand the impact a criminal record may have on occupational licensing
and industry standards, otherwise career planning and job placement efforts can be futile. Therefore, employment programmes must have service delivery designs that incorporate comprehensive assessment
tools.
A. Employment Programme Models
There are three employment programmes that provide model examples that work for large numbers ofpeople in need of employment. The Safer Foundation is a workforce organization that exclusively serves individuals with criminal histories. The organization operates a traditional workforce development
programme model with demand skills training as its newest growing component. Pioneer Human Services
provides employment and other essential services to individuals considered “hard to employ” and has significant corporate partnerships, blended training, and business operations as part of its workforce development model. Finally, the Center for Employment Opportunities exclusively serves justice-involved populations and provides subsidized transitional work to recently released prisoners.
1. Safer Foundation
Safer Foundation4 (Safer) is a not-for-profit agency headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Safer’s mission is
to assist people with criminal records to become law abiding employed citizens in the community thereby
reducing the rate at which they return to prison. While not all of Safer’s clients have been incarcerated,
they have all been found guilty of committing crimes. Like many agencies, Safer’s clients are predominantly male, minority (in the case of Safer, African American), undereducated, coming from communities withhigh rates of unemployment, high rates of crime, and single family households. Safer provides an array ofservices that include:⿟⿟ Case Management
⿟⿟ Mentoring⿟⿟ Educational Intervention
⿟⿟ Service Learning⿟⿟ Industry Training
⿟⿟ Employment Services
⿟⿟ Expungement
⿟⿟ Follow-Up
⿟⿟ Substance Abuse Treatment
4 The Safer Foundation’s website is www.saferfoundation.org.

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Safer Foundation’s Screening Process: Retention Services Model⿟⿟ Mental Health Services
Private sector employment is the organization’s goal and is accomplished primarily from Safer’s demand-driven workforce development model where the agency helps employers find qualified workers,
retain them and increase their skills to increase their effectiveness on the job after placement. Safer’s orientation process includes assessing the client’s needs and identifying any issues that may impede its ability
to place the client in a traditional job. In this phase the client is also tested to determine his/her aptitudes,interests, abilities, and pre-requisites. Clients are then placed on one of three pathways to determine theiremployment service track: “job ready” with or without credentials; transitional employment; or supportive
services to first address employment barriers. A “job ready” client who has credentials and a work history
is matched to current real-time job opportunities. Clients who do not have credentials but some work
history are placed in a skills training programme and connected to temporary employment opportunities
that fit around the training schedule. Clients who do not have any skills or work history are placed in timelimited, wage-paying jobs that combine real work, skill development, and support services. The transitional
employment provides an opportunity to help them overcome substantial barriers to employment andestablish a work record. The transitional employment is through Safer’s staffing company or through othersubsidized employment opportunities. Upon completion of the transitional employment phase, the client’s
pathway is reassessed for career planning to begin. All of Safer’s clients receive job preparedness training
and job coaching services in addition to skills development.
Safer’s Demand Skills Collaborative integrates both its demand-side and supply side workforce development services. Although Safer already has strong relationships in most industries, a strategic decision wasmade to target industries that needed skilled candidates and had opportunities that could be open to its
clients if they received important services like academic bridge programmes 5 , job readiness training,48

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industry recognized credentials and job placement services. The sectors are categorized as hubs—healthcare, manufacturing, agribusiness, food service/hospitality, transportation, and telecommunications. For
example, in Chicago, IL there are thousands of open healthcare positions. In fact, in the United States thehealthcare industry is forecasted to have significant worker shortages because of a lack of skilled workers
to meet the growing demand for healthcare services. 6 High-tech manufacturing companies are also
concerned about trained workers to fill key positions. Safer’s clients have the opportunity to earn credentials and secure careers in fields as diverse as advanced manufacturing, commercial truck driving, welding
and new fields like cellular wireless tower engineering and urban and rural farming.
This employer-driven employment model has key processes that lead to job placement, which include
identifying high-growth occupations, preparing justice-involved individuals to compete for those jobs byfocusing on employers’ expectations for skilled, productive, and dependable employees with good personal
management skills, and providing industry-standard training and certifications.7 The Demand Skill Collaborative partnership consists of businesses that have a demand for labor; training organizations that candeliver industry recognized credentials; a workforce development intermediary to identify and screen
qualified candidates and deepen employer relationships; funders to bring resources to the demand-driven
model; and industry experts who can provide understanding of terminology, trends, certifications andindustry needs. The success of the Collaborative requires the partners to have a deep (and mutual) understanding of the labor market, its needs, issues and potential solutions. This workforce model provides a
5 Academic bridge programmes provide students with opportunities to acquire knowledge and skills that will increase theirtransfer eligibility and academic success in a particular field or industry.

6 Lennon, Chauncey. “Jobs in Health Care on the Rise, but Skills Gap Prevents Hiring: Companies and civil leaders need tocollaborate on employment-training opportunities.” Editorial. USNews.com. N.p., 17, Feb. 2015. Web. 14, Jan. 2016. <http://
www.usnews.com/news/stem-solutions/articles/2015/02/17/op-ed-jobs-in-health-care-on-the-rise-but-skills-gap-prevents-hir
ing>.
7 National Institute of Corrections. “The Employer-Driven Employment Model for Justice-Involved.” Accessed January 14,
2016. Web. <http://nicic.gov/employerdrivenemploymentmodel>.

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deeper level of employer engagement, is driven by employers’ need to increase outcomes, and is designed
to put candidates on a career pathway with a strong outlook that would lead to financial stability. Safer, inthe end, can successfully train and place its clients in high demand, higher paying occupations.
2. Pioneer Human Services
Pioneer Human Services (Pioneer) 8 is a nonprofit organization that serves people released from prison
or jail in Washington State who are in need of treatment, housing and employment services. Pioneer
operates re-entry centers and work release facilities to help individuals with a successful transition
through an array of services focused on finding and retaining employment, reconnecting with families,
overcoming a substance use disorder and other issues.
Pioneer provides job readiness and occupational training through its Roadmap to Success programme,a 150-hour training course that is given over a four-and-a-half-week period. The training includes personal
management training, including reviewing the importance of punctuality and attendance, appropriate
attire, the ability to accept criticism, working collaboratively, and work ethic. It also focuses on skills
needed to look for work, including developing job search strategies, navigating questions about criminal
history, writing effective resumes and cover letters, and interviewing effectively. The course consists ofskill-building exercises to help trainees learn to make better decisions, both within their personal lives andat work, and to maintain a clean and sober lifestyle.
Pioneer’s occupational training programmes focus on three industries:
⿟⿟ Manufacturing Academy – provides pre-apprenticeship training to men and women interested in
manufacturing. This 10-week course offers the basics in manufacturing and safety to better
position candidates for entry-level positions. The Academy uses an accredited curriculum
sponsored by the Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee (AJAC) and all graduates receive
the following certificates: basic manufacturing; LEAN; forklift driving; flagger; OSHA/MSDS;
first aid/CPR.
⿟⿟ Food Services – Training focuses on the specific culinary skills needed to work in a food services
position. During the 16-week programme, students receive hands-on training to master the skills
needed for planning and preparing food for a restaurant, caterer or commercial kitchen. All
graduates receive a ServSafe Certification upon completion.
⿟⿟ Warehouse and Transportation Logistics – Provides training in the basics of inventory andproduct management, which are needed to successfully work in a distribution center environment.
Students earn certificates in the following: OSHA/MSDS; first aid/CPR; and forklift driving.
All applicants must be graduates of the Roadmap to Success training programme to be eligible
for any of the occupational training programmes. This ensures that clients have been prepared
and assessed for work readiness.
Pioneer operates two social enterprises that yield both a financial and social return. It has Pioneer Industries, which is an aerospace and commercial manufacturing company that is a full-service sheet metal
fabrication and machine shop that operates 110,000+ square feet of manufacturing space. Pioneer Industries’ capabilities include comprehensive sheet metal fabrication, machining, finishing, water jet andassembly services for a wide range of current products in the aerospace and commercial industries. The
business has access to workers who come through Pioneer Human Services’ employment programme who
get to receive skills training, receive relevant credentials, and move straight to full-time employment.
Pioneer also operates two food services lines of business. Its food buying service provides groceries to foodbanks and organizations across Washington State, Idaho, Oregon and several surrounding states. Its
prepared food division delivers fully cooked meals to many of Pioneer Human Services’ residential programmes and other food centers. Both food service lines of business provide work experience for its
clients.

8 Pioneer Human Service’s website is: <http://pioneerhumanservices.org/>.

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3. Center for Employment Opportunities
The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) 9 is a not-for-profit workforce development organization that provides employment assistance to people who are under community supervision. The
programme includes a five-day pre-employment workshop; resume and interview help with job coaches;
three to six months of transitional employment; and job search and job placement. CEO operates a large
network of work crews, providing maintenance, janitorial and grounds-keeping services to both public institutions and private companies. CEO participants work on these crews, supervised by CEO staff, and CEO
is the employer of record. CEO’s work crews serve as an employment lab; teaching participants/employees
how to work while they perform valuable tasks and earn a pay check. The employees get paid each day atthe end of each shift.
The CEO transitional jobs model has been independently proven to increase public safety: a three-year
random assignment evaluation conducted by MDRC showed that CEO made statistically significant
impacts on all measures of reducing recidivism.10 In addition to increasing public safety, the CEO model
also demonstrated a return on investment to the taxpayers; for every $1 spent on CEO’s programme there
was a $4 savings through reductions in recidivism and increased employment.
A critical function of transition jobs is the immediate income received by participants and the ability ofpeople who have little to no work experience to have an immediate positive experience that their family
can witness. Individuals with recent convictions or who are recently released very often face severe joblessness, have an immediate need for income, and have family responsibilities to take up again. CEOtargets this population because these crews provide structure and income, as well as skill-building opportunities that prepare individuals for full-time participation in the workforce. Finally, participants get towork with CEO’s team of job development professionals that provide one-on-one job coaching to address
any problems or job readiness challenges including a lack of commitment to work, interviewing skills,
resolving outside commitments that would prevent full-time work, developing a resume and getting appropriate interview attire.

III. HOUSINGThe United States is working to address the lack of affordable housing facing low income individuals
and families living in its urban centers. There are limited numbers of low income housing programmes
and affordable housing options, which is the nation’s primary cause for homelessness. Homeless individuals
who have a criminal history face even greater challenges to securing permanent housing since private
landlords and public housing agencies have wide latitude and discretion on their selection criteria fortenants. They may conduct criminal record checks and deny housing to individuals with conviction records
no matter how old or minor the criminal record. As a result of these limitations, federal, state and local
governments and community-based organizations have had to come up with creative solutions to meet theneeds and demands for housing homeless individuals with criminal records.
A programme that serves homeless individuals and families in Boston best describes the challenges
faced by many homeless individuals who need, in addition to housing assistance, additional help addressing
issues that are attributed to homelessness.
Many homeless individuals have cycled for years between foster homes, DYS [Department of Youth
Services], DSS [Department of Social Services] (as youths), shelters, correctional facilities, andmarginal housing. Many have also experienced abusive family lives and relationships. Many havenever known opportunity or stability and have experienced repeated failure.
Those experiencing homelessness also most often have inadequate health and mental health care,education, job skills, work experience, social supports, and life and coping skills necessary to succeed
9 The Center for Employment Opportunities’ website is: <http://ceoworks.org/>.

10 Redcross, C., Millenky, M., Rudd, T. & Levshin, V. (2012). More Than a Job: Final Results from the Evaluation of theCenter for Employment Opportunities (CEO) Transitional Jobs Programme. OPRE Report 2011-18. Washington, DC: Officeof Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Human Services.
Available at <http://www.mdrc.org/sites/default/files/full_451.pdf>.

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independently in the community. Lasting success is difficult without also helping people addressthese issues.11
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is the federal agency responsible forstrengthening the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meeting the need for
quality affordable rental homes; utilizing housing as a platform for improving quality of life; and building
inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination. HUD’s mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD oversees several housing programmes and provides grant support to state, local, and tribal governments to provide services directly totheir residents. HUD’s Continuum of Care Programme, which was authorized under the HomelessEmergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act of 2009 (HEARTH Act) of 2009,12 competitively awards grants for new construction, acquisition, rehabilitation, leasing, rental assistance, supportive
services, and operating costs for housing units; homeless management information systems, project administration costs; and Continuum of Care planning and Unified Funding Agency costs. The HEARTH Act
consolidated and amended three separate homeless assistance programmes into a single grant programme.
The three consolidated programmes are:⿟⿟ Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation Single Room Occupancy (SRO) Programme: Under the
SRO programme, HUD enters into annual contributions contracts (ACCs) with public housing
agencies (PHAs) in connection with the moderate rehabilitation of residential properties. These
PHAs make Section 8 rental assistance payments to participating landlords on behalf of homelessindividuals who rent the rehabilitated dwellings. Owners are compensated for the cost of rehabilitation (as well as the other costs of owning and maintaining the property) through the rental assistance payments. At the same time, each unit must need a minimum of $3,000 of eligible rehabilitation to qualify for the programme.
⿟⿟ The Shelter Plus Care (S+C) programme provides rental assistance for homeless people withdisabilities, primarily those with serious mental illness, chronic problems with alcohol and/or
drugs, and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and related diseases. Rental assistancegrants must be matched in the aggregate by supportive services that are equal in value to theamount of rental assistance and appropriate to the needs of the population to be served. Rental
assistance is provided through four S+C components: (1) Tenant-based Rental Assistance (TRA)
provides rental assistance to homeless persons who choose the housing in which they reside.
Residents retain the assistance if they move; (2) Sponsor-based Rental Assistance (SRA) provides
rental assistance through contracts between the grant recipient and a private not-for-profit
sponsor or community mental health agency established as a public not-for-profit entity that owns
or leases dwelling units in which participants reside; (3) Project based Rental Assistance (PRA)
provides rental assistance to the owner of an existing structure where the owner agrees to lease
the units to homeless people. Residents do not take the assistance with them if they move; and (4)Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation for Single Room Occupancy (SRO) Dwellings provides grants
for rental assistance.
⿟⿟ The Supportive Housing programme is designed to promote the development of supportive
housing and supportive services to assist homeless persons in transitioning from homelessness,and to promote the provision of supportive housing to enable homeless persons to live as independently as possible. Grants under the Supportive Housing Programme are awarded through anational competition held annually.
Some large public housing authorities in urban areas around the U.S. have begun to change theirpolicies or develop pilot programmes that allow formerly incarcerated individuals, who were otherwise
11 Friends of Boston’s Homeless. “Moving Beyond Shelter.” Web. Accessed 2016, January 10. <http://fobh.org/what-we-support/>.
12 On May 20, 2009, President Obama signed the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing(HEARTH) Act into law (Pub.L. 111–22), reauthorizing HUD’s Homeless Assistance programmes. It was included as part of
the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009. The HEARTH Act allows for the prevention of homelessness, rapid
re-housing, consolidation of housing programmes, and new homeless categories.

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classified as ineligible for housing, to return to their family’s household. The Chicago Housing Authority is
testing a pilot programme that will allow 50 convicted felons to obtain apartments or vouchers.13 The New
York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) initiated a two-year pilot to provide 150 formerly incarcerated individuals with supportive services and permission to be added to their family’s lease upon completion of the
programme.14
A. Housing Programme Models
1. Fortune Society
The Fortune Society is a New York City not-for-profit social service and advocacy organization, founded
in 1967, whose mission is to support successful re-entry from prison and promote alternatives to incarceration, thus strengthening the fabric of communities. Fortune has a holistic, one-stop model of service
provision that includes: Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI), drop-in services, employment services,education, family services, health services, housing services, substance abuse treatment, transitional
services such as the Rikers Island Discharge Enhancement (R.I.D.E.) programme, recreation, and lifetime
aftercare. However, it is its housing programmeme that is notable for this paper.
Many of Fortune’s clients were released from incarceration and could not return home to their families
for two reasons; the families were either unwilling or unable to accommodate them. It was difficult to place
individuals in their own housing because the private rental market New York City, like in other urban
centers in the United States, was high and landlords have the discretion to deny housing to applicants withcriminal histories. Moreover local public housing for low income individuals and families deny access to individuals with certain criminal convictions.
The Fortune Society decided to develop its own affordable and supportive housing for its clients. It
created Fortune Castle Gardens, a $44 million environmentally friendly building in West Harlem that is
Fortune’s first permanent housing complex. In 2010 they opened the 11-story building, which has 114 apartments with more than half occupied by people who were formerly incarcerated or homeless; the rest arereserved for low-income residents. Castle Gardens provides its tenants support services such as counseling,case management and financial planning. Castle Gardens adjoins the Fortune Academy, also known as “theCastle.” The Castle is a halfway house that provides emergency transitional living space for up to 62 individuals who are recovery from drugs or alcohol and many residents are recently released from prison. The
Fortune Society has been providing transitional housing since 2002.
The programmeme faced community hostility when it attempted to purchase the property for Castle
Gardens and faced what is called, “Not in my Back Yard” (NIMBY) challenges. People with criminal
histories, particularly with drug and sex crimes, are the most reviled populations. Therefore, Fortune recommends supportive housing developers consider the following:⿟⿟ Recruiting Board of Directors with expertise in areas such as real estate, project capital management and financial planning;⿟⿟ Strategically securing a blend of public funds to finance the project that would not interfere withdecisions about which clients to serve and what programmes and types of housing to offer;
⿟⿟ Hiring legal, architectural and co-developer partners with appropriate experience and outstanding
reputations;⿟⿟ Developing detailed operational and programme details, including intake and screening procedures, services to be offered, staffing requirements, security needs and operating budgets for thedevelopment;
13 Bowen, L. (2015, May 23). “Public Housing Initiative Offers Second Chance to Some with Arrest Records.” Chicago
Tribune. Web. Accessed 2016, January 10. <http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-housing-ex-offenders-met-20150523story.html>.
14 See Corporation for Supportive Housing. “NYCHA Family Reentry Pilot.” Web. Accessed 2016, January 10. <http://www.
csh.org/csh-solutions/serving-vulnerable-populations/re-entry-populations/local-criminal-justice-work/nycha-family-reentrypilot-csh/>.

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⿟⿟ Looking ahead to long-term funding possibilities to sustain the housing programme over time;⿟⿟ Visiting existing supportive housing facilities to witness first-hand the way they work and theirpower to transform lives;⿟⿟ Selecting a suitable location for a congregate supportive housing facility, and;⿟⿟ Planning a comprehensive community outreach effort.15
2. Returning Home Ohio
Returning Home Ohio is a supportive housing re-entry pilot that was developed jointly in 2007 by the
Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) and the Corporation for Supportive Housing fordisabled prisoners returning from state prison to five Ohio cities. The goal of the initiative is to prevent
homelessness and recidivism for people identified as being most likely to require housing linked to support
services in order to maintain housing such as people who are seriously mentally ill, have a developmental
disability, severe addiction, co-occurring disorders, or who have custody of minor children. ODRC hascommitted over $5 million that has been used for rental subsidies, tenant assistance, supportive services,
programme evaluation, and project management.16
ODRC has partnered with eight not-for-profit organizations in five communities to identify a minimumof 84 units of housing for single adults and families. Providers connect programme participants to scattered-site (public housing units spread around a city) and single-site housing and also coordinate theprovision of additional services and resources through other community-based organizations. However, inorder to support the development of the programme and enhance the housing services provided to individuals in need of support, there were policy changes that needed to take place. The pilot allowed ODRC tofund permanent housing and services and to also serve individuals who were not currently under ODRC
supervision. Also, a policy was amended to allow people with conviction records to be an eligible to participate in the rental subsidy programme through the Ohio Housing Finance Agency.
The evaluation of this pilot was completed by the Urban Institute and it found:⿟⿟ Participants were significantly less likely to be rearrested for misdemeanors.
⿟⿟ Participants were significantly less likely to be re-incarcerated.
⿟⿟ Very few individuals – in either the treatment or control group – used emergency shelter.
⿟⿟ Participants received more community-based services, particularly mental health and substanceabuse services.17
3. Just In Reach
The Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) is a not-for-profit organization that has for more than 25
years been providing training and education, lending, consulting, and advocacy to provide housing andimportant services for individuals and families to achieve stability and transform their lives.18 In 2014,
CSH implemented the Just In Reach initiative to connect chronically homeless, frequently incarcerated individuals to permanent housing in order to reduce rates of re-incarceration and to end the cycle of homelessness. The initiative is a revamp of a two year demonstration programme that was funded with public
15 Fortune Society and John Jay College of Criminal Justice. “In Our Backyard: Overcoming community resistance tore-entry housing (A NIMBY Toolkit), p. 7. (2011). Web. Accessed 2016, January 10. <http://fortunesociety.org/wp-content/
files_mf/14313083881395803928137882725004_TOOLKIT1NIMBY_FINAL_Emailable_110413.pdf>.
16 Corporation for Supportive Housing. “Returning Home Ohio.” Web. Accessed 2016, January 10. <http://www.csh.org/cshsolutions/serving-vulnerable-populations/re-entry-populations/local-criminal-justice-work/returning-home-ohio/>.
17 Fontaine, J., Gilchrist-Scott, D., Roman, R., Taxy, & Roman, C. (August 2012). “Supportive Housing for Returning
Prisoners: Outcomes and Impacts of the Returning Home—Ohio Pilot Project.” Urban Institute. Web. Accessed 2016,
January 10. <http://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/alfresco/publication-pdfs/412632-Supportive-Housing-for-ReturningPrisoners-Outcomes-and-Impacts-of-the-Returning-Home-Ohio-Pilot-Project.PDF>.
18 More about Corporation for Supportive Housing is available at <http://www.csh.org/about-csh/>.

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and private funds in 2008 in Los Angeles but was abandoned. The Just In Reach project also operates inthe Los Angeles, California county jail and targets individuals who:
1. Are currently incarcerated and sentenced;
2. Are expected to be discharged from jail in 60-120 days;
3. Have been incarcerated at least 3 times in the past 3 years;
4. Prior to entering jail were homeless continuously for at least 1 year OR on at least 4 separate
occasions in the last 3 years; AND
5. Has a diagnosable substance use disorder, serious mental illness, developmental disability, post-traumatic stress disorder, cognitive impairments resulting from a brain injury, or chronic physical illness
or disability, including the co-occurrence of 2 or more of those conditions.
The programme uses an intensive case management model to connect the most vulnerable inmates topermanent housing. Staff identify participants and start working with them 2-4 months prior to discharge
from jail, release, through temporary housing, into permanent housing and for as long as necessary. The
goal is to get participants into permanent housing as soon as possible without the need for them to show
“housing readiness” because they work with a multi-agency and inter-disciplinary team that provides
wrap-around support. Finally, the programme is data-driven and outcome-oriented. Support services
include:⿟⿟ Needs assessment and intensive case management
⿟⿟ Temporary housing immediately upon release from jail⿟⿟ Permanent housing placement and short-term rental assistance⿟⿟ Employment assistance (individualized and group)⿟⿟ Benefits enrollment
⿟⿟ Mental health services
⿟⿟ Connection to drug and alcohol treatment
⿟⿟ Mentoring and other community support
⿟⿟ On-going services even once placed in housing
4. Pioneer Human Services
Pioneer Human Services, the not-for-profit organization also featured in the employment section of thispaper, owns and operates more than 850 housing units in four counties in Washington State. Pioneer
provides transitional and permanent housing rental programmes for people with criminal histories or participating in recovery programmes. Its transitional housing programme provides services to homeless adultmen and women exiting jails, hospitals, crisis centers, or inpatient treatment facilities. Individuals are
required to pay a service fee of 30% of their income, or zero with no income and must be committed tocompliance with case management and individual case management plans for more permanent housing.
Case management includes counseling and treatment, vocational programmes and employment services
are available to help residents successfully join the workforce. Pioneer’s transitional housing, also called
sober housing, requires residents to agree to be monitored through urinalysis and breathalyzers.
Pioneer has a number of permanent housing options in neighborhoods across the state. Their flats arefor single-, double-, or family occupancy and some are set aside for special populations including those with
re-entry needs, mental illness, chemical dependency, and veterans. Individuals with criminal histories may
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qualify for their housing if committed to an individual re-entry plan and if they comply with participation
requirements. The properties are income producing and support many of the services provided by the organization.
5. St. Leonard’s Ministries
St. Leonard’s House is an example of a smaller community-based programme that has found its nicheand expertise with a specific population. The programme provides interim housing and supportive services
for formerly incarcerated men returning to the community from Illinois prisons. The programme opened
in 1954 and today has two facilities in Chicago, Illinois that serve 40 residents. The rooms vary from sixperson occupancy to single-resident rooms. The facilities have on-site amenities in the buildings, including
a weight room, recreation rooms, a library, a laundry room with free washers and dryers, and a chapel.
The programme provides three meals a day, and residents participate in special events, holiday activities,
and large group gatherings. Through St. Leonard’s extensive community partnerships, residents receive
the following services:⿟⿟ Individual and group psychological counseling and group activities through the Adler School of
Psychology
⿟⿟ Programmes to promote the development of life skills
⿟⿟ On-site intensive out-patient substance abuse treatment
⿟⿟ Addiction counseling and relapse prevention
⿟⿟ Assistance in connecting with community supportive services
⿟⿟ Housing placement assistance (transitional and permanent)⿟⿟ Education and employment services
⿟⿟ Social and recreational opportunities.

IV. CONCLUSION
Daryl Atkinson, the first-ever Second Chance Fellow19 to serve at the U.S. Department of Justice is anadvisor to the Federal Reentry Interagency Council. 20 He was selected because of his personal experience,expertise, and leadership in the criminal justice field — he is a practicing civil rights and criminal defense
attorney and is a formerly incarcerated individual. Mr. Atkinson says it best when describing what works
in re-entry:
In hindsight, the most critical component in my successful re-entry was a viable support system, aloving family who provided food, clothing, shelter, and nurtured my dreams. Having those immediate
physical and emotional needs met gave me the opportunity to pursue higher education and gainful
employment... Of course, not all of the people with criminal records are blessed with a support
system similar to mine and this BRI [Boston Re-entry Initiative] graduate. 21 But society can facilitate successful re-entry by continuing to create secondary support systems with evidence-based
re-entry programming and public policies that remove obstacles to reintegration, thereby giving
19 U.S. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch. (2015, July 30). “Justice Department Announces First-Ever Second Chance

Fellow.” Blog. Access 2016, January 15. <http://www.justice.gov/opa/blog/second-chances-vital-criminal-justice-reform>.

20 The Federal Interagency Reentry Council, established by Attorney General Holder in January 2011, represents a signifi-

cant executive branch commitment (20 federal agencies) to coordinating re-entry efforts and advancing effective re-entry
policies. A chief focus of the Reentry Council is to remove federal barriers to successful re-entry, so that motivated individuals — who have served their time and paid their debts — are able to compete for a job, attain stable housing, support
their children and their families, and contribute to their communities.
21 On January 13, 2016, Daryl Atkinson, the U.S. Department of Justice Second Chance Fellow accompanied U. S. Attorney
General Loretta Lynch on visits to three re-entry programmes in Boston, MA — the Common Ground Institute (CGI), theBoston Reentry Initiative (BRI), and Community Reentry for Women (C.R.E.W.).

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formerly incarcerated people a real opportunity at a second chance. 22
The employment and housing programme models presented in this paper are just some of the many
ways public and private organizations can work together to develop services that respond to theimmediate and long-term needs of people with criminal histories. A common theme among many of the
programmes is the ability to help clients address and manage mental health and behavioural healthproblems such as substance use and alcohol addiction. Although not every person with a criminal history
has an addiction problem, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence reports that 80
percent of people with criminal histories abuse drugs or alcohol, nearly 50 percent of people incarcerated
in jail and prison are clinically addicted, and approximately 60 percent of individuals arrested for mosttypes of crimes test positive for illegal drugs at arrest. 23
Jerry, a former Safer Foundation (Safer) client, often speaks about how pleased he is to have opportunities to assist Safer given the role he feels Safer played in his life. Jerry is currently the Chair of the Social
Work Department at a southern university and holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph. D.), Master of Business
Administration (MBA) and Master of Social Work (MSW) degrees. When he was younger, Jerry did not
make all the right decisions. He was involved with drugs and drug-related crimes. He served two prison
sentences before he realized that staying in the revolving door to prison was not how he wanted to live therest of his life. When asked about how he transitioned from a life of crime to getting a Ph.D. and ultimately
becoming the Chair of his department, he tells the story of going to the Safer Foundation when he wasreleased from prison the first time. With Safer’s assistance he found a job. However, at that point, the pullof his friends and drugs was greater than the pull of living the life he knew he should. After his releasefrom prison the second time he went back to Safer, received support in finding another job and with encouragement and assistance in researching educational opportunities, he also went to college. He neverlooked back.
Jerry not only earned several advanced degrees but also benefitted from changed employment policies
that allowed him to compete and secure a job with the federal Housing and Urban Development Agency(HUD) prior to joining academia. As one might expect, while Jerry was employed with HUD, he assisted inestablishing housing programmes for low-income residents and ensured people with criminal records
qualified for those programmes.
There are many success stories that epitomize the effectiveness of re-entry support in the lives of justice-involved individuals. When employment and housing programmes not only focus on the personal needsof their clients but provides support and services that eliminate structural barriers to re-entry, the service
model works. Programmes must be flexible, responsive and able to change or build partnerships that
address the ever-changing needs of their clients. At the end of the day, programme services are an investment in people, and the return on investment for saving one person’s life can be to save hundreds or eventhousands more as seen by Mr. Atkinson and Dr. W.’s stories and accomplishments.

22 Atkinson, D. (2016, January 15). “Return on a Chance.” Blog. Accessed 2016, January 15. <http://www.justice.gov/justice-blogs>.

23 National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (2015, June 27). Alcohol, Drugs, and Crime. Web. Accessed

2016, January 16. <https://ncadd.org/about-addiction/alcohol-drugs-and-crime>.

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