Policy that will Benefit Felons Post Incarceration

Contents Abstract 2 Documenting the Problem 3 The History of the Problem 3 Potential causes 3 Previous interventions 4 Identification of relevant stakeholders 4 The policy goals 4 The goals include; 5 Initial steps 5 Follow-up 5 Outcome of each goal 5 Recommendation 1 5 Recommendation 2 5 Policy Assumptions 5 How incompatibility of goals was addressed 6 Choosing the intervention plan 6 Target population 7 Timelines 7 Staff skills. 8 References 9 Documenting the Problem The introduction of an optimal reintegration process for felon convicts into society poses a challenge for policymakers, the victims and their families as well. The state has advanced laws that restrict access to employment by people with a criminal record. The fact that these laws work towards facilitating public safety, they hinder economic progress since the affected individuals cannot engage productively as working members of the society (American Bar Association, 2015).

To this end, it is critical to come up with a policy program that would aid individuals with criminal records to re-integrate into society by helping ex-convicts to access employment opportunities. Identification of relevant stakeholders The policy was keen to identify relevant parties that can partner with the criminal justice system to come up with a comprehensive supportive mechanism towards facilitating successful reintegration of past felony convicts in society through facilitating their access to employment. Community service organizations and NGOs were identified as the key partners in this process. The policy goals It is worth noting that persons have been convicted of a felony, face an extension of their punishment even after release. A set of laws enacted back in the 1990’s makes it a tall order for such persons re-enter the society and access job opportunities.

The fundamental laws which prohibit successful reintegration in society since the affected persons became alienated from society, and this may cause an increase in recidivism, which is uncalled for within the tenets of the criminal justice system. How incompatibility of goals was addressed The operations of criminal justice system and those of the community organization and NGOs may not be compatible. This calls for a clear arrangement between the all stakeholders to come up with a clear schedule that identifies areas how resources both in terms of time and budget would be shared. Addressing the needs for interagency collaboration calls for frequent meetings to iron out any issues that my prop up during the program. Further, the interagency collaboration would call for a clear-cut schedule and work breakdown structure that will ensure all key milestones are captured and agreed upon (Sheely & Kneipp, 2015).

Choosing the intervention plan The policy would take shape through a collaborative approach between community agencies, NGOs, one-stop career centers, mental health centers, local employers and the criminal justice system. However, they should follow up with them and link them with treatment facilities, and job opportunities. Therefore, to facilitate successful transition from prison to employment, all participants would be assigned to an individual manager. The participants would then undergo an orientation program that encompasses a critical assessment of an individual job skills. Job readiness course would encompass aspects such as resume writing, the best way to approach interviews, computer training as well as other job-related concepts. The training would take a month, and follow-ups would become less frequent as participants become more integrated in the society.