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Provided throughout the fifteen
county South Plains region, Project RIO (Reintegration of
Offenders) is a federally funded program that offers
employment and training services to individuals who have
been placed within the criminal justice system. The
project provides a link between education, training and
employment during incarceration with employment, training
and education after release.
The
program is designed to reduce recidivism through employment.
Numerous studies have shown reduced recidivism rates for
employed ex-offenders. Even when one takes into account
other factors such as age, risk score, race/ethnicity and
type of previous offense, post-release employment reduced
re-arrests and re-incarcerations. Most recently, a
three-year longitudinal study performed by the Texas
Workforce Commission showed the rate of recidivism for those
who had not used Project RIO services were twenty-five
percent more likely to be re-incarcerated, compared to only
six-percent of those who had accessed Project RIO services.
At the local level, Workforce Solutions of the South Plains Project
RIO staff served 598 individuals in 2006, of which
428, or 71.57%, were placed into employment. This was
accomplished through outreach efforts at the Lubbock TDCJ
Parole office, Billy Meeks Halfway House and referrals from
TYC and the Plainview TDCJ Parole office. Only twenty-two of
the 598 Project RIO customers were re-institutionalized at
the county jail or TDCJ prison, and the majority of these
were incarcerated for non violent crimes.
Services are
offered to program participants pre- and post-release. An
individualized treatment plan is developed to identify a
career path for the offender and to guide placement
decisions. Prior to release, a comprehensive evaluation is
conducted to assess the needs of the offender and assist in
the selection and placement in college, TDCJ and TYC
programs. The evaluation process is a multi-step approach
that includes information gathering, goal-setting, program
placement and offender self-assessment.
The
Workforce Project RIO staff encourage participants to take
advantage of educational and vocational services and assist
offenders in obtaining documents necessary for employment.
For more information regarding Workforce’s Project RIO
services, contact the Workforce Solutions of the South Plains
Business and Career Center of Lubbock at (806) 765-5038, or
visit them at 1218 14th Street in Lubbock.
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