Celebrating Second Chance Month: Your past doesn’t define you 

April 5, 2023

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What is Second Chance Month?  Did you know that in the United States, nearly 1 in 3 adults has a criminal record?1   Each April, to support justice-involved individuals, the Department of Justice celebrates Second Chance Month. Second Chance Month recognizes the

Aligning correctional and workforce systems: 2022 Prison2Employment Summit learnings

March 9, 2022

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The virtual P2E Summit: The Future of the P2E Grant Program took place on March 1, with contributions from the San Diego Workforce Partnership staff and participants. Much of the conversation was focused on the COVID-19 related changes of the grant and what grantees can anticipate for future work.

The nexus of systemic racism, criminal justice and economic opportunity

December 3, 2020

Side View Of African American Prisoner Reading Book

The evidence of racial bias in our criminal justice system is overwhelming. But it is critical that we reflect more on the interrelation of racism in our justice system and the impacts that reverberate out to our economy and workforce that have lasting consequences for our society.

Reentry program prepares Juan for work

October 1, 2019

Juan San Diego Second Chance

After graduating JRT, Juan enrolled at City College, works at the shipyard and looks forward to a career in HVAC. He also has reconnected with his mom, his sisters and his grown son, who now proudly tells his father, “I can talk to my friends about you!”

“My past became irrelevant”

August 27, 2019

Charla Walls Kitchens for Good class 16 graduation

Kitchens for Good graduate Charla Walls shares her story in her own words: “I now believe in myself and my past bad choices are no longer a hindrance to me, they are just my past. My future is now bright—I can clearly visualize myself growing in the field.”

How learning from the end user yields better reentry results

June 15, 2019

Reentry Town Hall June 2019

As part of our continuous learning and improvement of our programs and projects, the San Diego Workforce Partnership held our first ever Reentry Works Town Hall to hear from community stakeholders how best to create a release for proposals for approximately $2M in funding to serve current and formerly incarcerated individuals throughout reentering back to the community. Approximately 75 attendees engaged in a community conversation on creative solutions to solicit high-quality applications.

Planning for employment can greatly reduce recidivism

April 30, 2019

Donovan job fair

Following the first ever job fair held inside a San Diego County jail at the East Mesa Reentry Facility in 2017, in April we coordinated the first ever job fair inside a state prison located in the county—the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility—as well as a preparation event.

Life after incarceration: What it means to survive Beyond the Wall

February 21, 2018

The U.S. incarcerates people at a higher rate than any other country. What’s more, within three years of release approximately two-thirds of the formerly incarcerated are rearrested and sent back to prison. On February 20, The Malin Burnham Center for Civic Engagement at The San Diego Foundation hosted the San Diego premiere of “Beyond the Wall,”  a documentary following five formerly incarcerated men as they attempt to rebuild their lives on the streets of Massachusetts.

From mandatory supervision to union representation

October 2, 2017

A San Diegan since the age of 7, Jon-David used to enjoy golfing in Mission Valley. That all changed when he was incarcerated multiple times for multiple felonies. He was sentenced to a two-year “split” in his most recent stay—serving

Governor Jerry Brown urges employers to hire formerly incarcerated

September 5, 2017

On September 1, Governor Edmund G. (Jerry) Brown was joined by state and local corrections officials and other leaders for the 2017 San Diego Employer Forum at the Jacobs Center. The event was co-hosted by the California Prison Industry Authority