Reentry Works

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 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.

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!”

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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

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

On August 29, San Diego Workforce Partnership (SDWP) Manager of Adult Programs Kristen Walker participated on a panel presentation at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Employment and Training Administration Regions 4 and 6 Peer-to-Peer Training, held in San Francisco