Nearly two dozen incarcerated individuals received conditional job offers during a recent hiring event at California State Prison, Solano.
The civil service workshop and hiring event for incarcerated individuals was held November 17. Twenty-three individuals received conditional job offers for employment from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) before returning to their communities.
“This hiring event is successful thanks to multiple state agencies coming together to improve the lives of others,” said CALPIA Acting General Manager Bill Davidson. “CALPIA thrives through partnerships, and it is rewarding to see a smooth transition for those individuals who are about to leave prison.”
CALPIA joined the following agencies to hold the workshop:
Caltrans
California Government Operations Agency
CDCR
California Department of Human Resources
California Workforce Development Board
“Following the completion of their training, Caltrans is proud to offer these Californians jobs in maintaining our highways,” said Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin. “These jobs can lead to rewarding careers in civil service. Caltrans is pleased to partner in this effort.”
The hiring event was the second to take place at CSP-Solano. A total of 34 incarcerated individuals took the entry-level Highway Maintenance Worker or Landscape Maintenance Worker exam with 33 successfully passing one or both exams. Since the first workshop and hiring event in 2019, 33 incarcerated applicants received conditional job offers from Caltrans.
The $37 million Prison to Employment Initiative, a three-year workforce and reentry services integration across the state’s 14 regions, aims to improve labor market outcomes for the state’s justice-involved and formerly incarcerated populations.
Joe Flores, the lead representative for the Prison to Employment Initiative and Corrections Workforce Partnership for the California Workforce Development Board, said there are major wins to celebrate.
“Through this coordinated partnership, we can help incarcerated individuals into post-release jobs,” said Flores. “This civil service hiring event leaves a blueprint for other public agencies to follow.”
Those who received job offers will be paroled or released within the next year.
33 job offers since 2019. Nice to see less than .01% of the state prison population officially offered jobs.
Wanna bet not one job has been given to registered offender?
After losing two jobs while registered because I was registered, taking 7 months each time to find another job paying far less than my educational background, skill levels and experience, being forced to work very long hours at the jobs I could find causing my salary pay to end up being below minimum wage, and finally losing my last job because of the pandemic, I have since given up on the job market. I lost my professional license and took jobs at half pay and working twice as many hours as that was my only choice and the employers who hired me knew that and took advantage of my situation.
The pandemic has forced me out of the workplace and my unemployment expired so I now work for myself from home working part-time and making one third of what I should be making in my field, but am lucky I even have that option. I did not receive one job contact during my unemployment period even when I tried to use a state program that is suppose to help those with a record.
But I am ok because for the last 9 years I have been living way below my means to save money in case I lost my job due to my label. I also got lucky and sold my house and land to a developer so I had cash to buy my own lot and a cabin less than 300 sq ft so I have no rent, no mortgage and very low utilities. I thank God I have a roof over my head.
I have been to every temp agency in the area that specializes in my field. After reviewing my resume and interviewing me every agency stated we have clients that can use your skills for short-term projects and how soon would you be available. But every one of these agencies then ushers me out the door when I tell them that when they do a background check they will find I pled guilty to a non-violent attempted sexual offense against a fictitious person back in 2004 for which a judge dismissed the charge but state law required me to register (and then I tell them of the attempted offense).
Some of these temp agencies told me we can not bond you because of your label so therefore even if we wanted to hire you, we can not, but if you had committed a non-violent felony where you were not required to register, then we could get you bonded. The Texas Workforce Commission has a bonding program to help people get back on their feet. I looked into the bonding program, I did not qualify because I had a label. So I can not even obtain temp work in my field because of my label.
I count myself lucky that I do have an education, skills, not a minority and not having to have been to prison because I imagine seeking work in those circumstances would be even more difficult. It is hard enough for people to find jobs for those in any of those categories, but it is even harder for someone with a label to find a job even though there are numerous job openings in the DFW area. I hear almost every day on the radio or tv news from local employers saying they can not find workers. I just want to scream at them there are thousands of people in the DFW area who want jobs that you will not even consider so I hope your business fails.
The deck is so stacked against people with a label from the employers and from the insurance companies. So much for second chances in this country.
CA here.
It does get better for those in CA. Licensing still has issues, but I have been employed steadily for the past 4 years.
This is after the 7 year mark. And yes, I’ve had to fight at least once because of registry. But professional employment is so much easier out here.
I just read where I live (Texas) led the nation in September and October in people quitting jobs, more than 400,000 each month. Wohoo, there are lots of open jobs – more than 800,000 open jobs in Texas.
But guess what, I have been unable to find a job because of my label even though I have no conviction and the judge dismissed the non-violent sex offense charge. Every temp agency in town that specializes in my professional field after interviewing me and reviewing my resume always say we have clients that can use you immediately and when can you start. Then I am ushered out the door when I tell them they will find an arrest on my record but no conviction yet I am required to register. Some of the temp agencies told me we can not get you bonded because of your label and the state workforce commission bonding program to help people with a background re-enter the job market also refused to bond me because of my label.
I finally gave up with the job market, my unemployment expired and now I am just part-time self employed. People with records are screwed and people with labels are even more screwed. Few are willing to give people second chances.
If I ever get to the point of being full time and needing another person, I plan to hire someone with a label because that person will be appreciative of being given a second chance and I bet that person would be a hard working employee. I hope others with a label are having more success in finding a job in this employee job market.
I plead to a wobbler 243.4a back in the late 1999. I lost a healthcare license. I worked years for it. I went back to school and obtained an MBA, but it was never the same. I later (case was in LA) went back to OC and attempted to obtain a COR ( charged reduced to misdemeanor/expunged)! DA was dirty/liar and not granted. This year, I took the sane route (he only knows) as Chance and went to LA! Granted. Superb – per a phone call with Janice! Granted! No more 290! I soon re-applied for my professional license. I was nervous. Via zoom, both an administrative Judge and the attorney general – with my counsel went over the incident/rebuttal and how I’ve moved on. I was in shock! Clear background/psych evaluation! When the Attorney General had her turn to close, no comment????? Per my counsel, the board gave her marching orders to no oppose? I was in disbelief? I should be re licensed in the next 2-3 months. Guys, it’s possible. I never gave up! Don’t stop! I’m in shock. Thank you Janice!
Benny, I don’t know what board RT ‘s have, but my board was the department of consumer affairs. Both an administrative Judge and the Attorney General of Ca where presiding over my reinstatement bid. My plea was initially a felony- wobbler, that was reduced to a misdemeanor/later expunged and a COR. I believe you can still obtain a COR, but the COR will no longer remove you from the registry. The deadline was July 1st/2021! So, I wonder if you get off the registry, can you still apply for one? I submitted a psych evaluation, COR, clean record via live scan, letters of support and obviously my degrees, minute order. The Attorney General asked a few questions, but the 290 was rarely brought up? I’m off the registry. My counsel gave closing arguments and when the Attorney General was given her chance, no response? Probation? No comment? My counsel stated: she must have been given her marching orders. I hope to resume my career in 3-4 months. Good luck