Jail-to-Job Pipeline Program

Program Overview Jobs in the construction, maintenance, and repair of utilities are not easy and can be difficult to fill. Turnover is high, which adds to the cost of running the enterprise. One potential solution is to recruit returning citizens, many of whom find it difficult to secure a job upon release. Recruiting ex-offenders can not only fill vacancies and lessen the financial burden on utilities, but it can also help reduce recidivism in their communities. The Pinellas County Utilities Department (PCU) launched the Jail-to-Job Pipeline Program in partnership with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) to offer returning citizens an onramp into a career in utilities. The program's main features are the Connect, Prepare, Apply (CPA) process (See Figure 1) and the addition of the Utilities Maintenance Worker - Trainee (UMW — Trainee) position to the career ladder (See Figures 2-3). The CPA approach gives potential applicants an opportunity to learn about the position and application process directly from PCU staff prior to applying. PCU established a dedicated email address for interested persons to contact the department. Once PCU receives an email, a staff member connects the person to a program administrator who can answer questions about open positions and the general application process, review interview best practices, and give potential applicants strategies for addressing their record in their application or during an interview. PCU staff can also gauge a potential applicant's relevant skillset and credentials during the pre-application meeting. The entry-level jobs at PCU used to require one year of utilities experience, which excluded otherwise qualified applicants, including many returning citizens, from moving forward in the hiring process. The UMW — Trainee position eliminates that requirements and provides six months of on-the-job training to successful applicants who join the department as trainees. At the end of the six-month period, during which trainees gain experience working on a wide range of equipment that will prepare them to move up the career ladder, they move on to the next rung in the ladder and receive a raise. Status PCU is in the process of recruiting participants into the program. Although COVID-19 has so far limited in-person outreach, staff members have conducted virtual presentations and expanded the initial partnership with the PCSO. Through this process, the team learned that the PCSO is part of a network of organizations in the Tampa Bay area that work with returning citizens. The PCSO and other members of the Pinellas Ex-offender Re-entry Coalition (PERC) work together to serve returning citizens in the Tampa Bay region. What began as a partnership with the PCSO is now a concerted effort to bring returning citizens from the area's county jails and state prisons into PCU. Metrics The research variables are job placement (independent), reduction in recidivism (dependent), job readiness training (moderating), and education level (mediating). Through quantitative statistics from the Department of Corrections Florida Prison Recidivism Report and qualitative data gathered through interviews and surveys the research will obtain information on educational level, job satisfaction, and retention surveys as evident data to the research. PCU built a Jail-to-Job Program Tracker (J2J Tracker) (See Figure 4) to document program metrics that will enable the department to make evidence-based changes and decisions in the future. The J2J Tracker tracks three main elements of the program: department outreach, candidate information, and UMW — Trainee career paths. Department outreach referrers to recruiting activities at county or state jails and organizations that serve returning citizens. These may be in-person or virtual, and they may be presentations to potential applicants or program staff. Candidate metrics include the number of email inquiries potential applicants, candidate demographics, and how many candidates go through each stage of the application process. It's important for PCU to identify and monitor correlations between the department's outreach activities and the number of potential applicants who go through the CPA process. If in-person activities yield a higher number of successful applicants, for instance, the outreach team can shift its resources to facilities and organizations that allow for in-person recruiting. It's important for employers that recruit ex-offenders to provide them with the support they need to be successful employees. Returning citizens can require different resources than other employees to be successful and tracking their career paths can help PCU identify best practices to provide the support they need. The J2J Tracker documents the trajectory of program participants along the career ladder. Along with the retention rate, the tracker documents how long each employee spent on each rung, which certifications they earned, any training they received through the county's human resources office, and the professional development activities in which they enroll. Benefits and Significance As PCU trains and employs ex-offenders, desirable outcomes will include reducing recidivism rates, improved quality of life for returning citizens and their families, enhanced public services, and lessened financial burden on the department. Through the creation and outcomes of this research, local governments can make informed decisions on hiring skilled workers based on their current skills and future potential regardless of their background.