MAIC Awarded $897,260 DOJ Grant to Secure Employment for Returning Neighbors.
The Academy for Career Development
Stable Employment is Critical
The Academy for Career Development
The Academy for Career Development
"Stable employment is critical to a successful transition into the community, but reentering individuals often encounter significant barriers in finding employment upon release from prisons and jails, including low levels of education, limited vocational (or marketable) skills and limited work experience.
Reentry programs have demonstrated the overwhelming need for employment opportunities for people released from prison and jail, and the need to facilitate the creation of job opportunities for this population."
CSG Justice Center.(https://csgjusticecenter.org/reentry/issue-areas/employment/
The Academy for Career Development
The Academy for Career Development
The Academy for Career Development
The Academy for Career Development is an education, training and employment program for adults with histories of incarceration who have personal goals for avoiding recidivism and becoming economically self-sufficient citizens.
The Academy is more than education, job training or employment
The Academy served 49 returning neighbors since April, 2020 when it opened.
The Academy served 49 returning neighbors since April, 2020 when it opened.
- The core purposes are establishing a sense of status and esteem through enrollment, a sense of belonging and connection to others, experiencing acceptance through a group process and goal-setting as well as achievement.
- The entire process is rooted in cognitive behavioral techniques and will be done in a faith-based, supportive environment.
- The end goal is for each returning neighbor to find the life God has always intended for them.
The Academy served 49 returning neighbors since April, 2020 when it opened.
The Academy served 49 returning neighbors since April, 2020 when it opened.
The Academy served 49 returning neighbors since April, 2020 when it opened.
14 neighbors obtained permanent employment
3 interns graduated Ransom ReProgram
2 returned to jail
4% recidivism
Metro Chaplaincy Program
- Established in 2002 by MAIC
- Provides a chapel and classroom for Metro Jail inmates
- Provides hygiene and Covid-19 kits to inmates
- Provides pre-release services through Goodwill Easterseals, Celebrate Recovery and Fatherhood Initiative
- Provides bibles, books, religious papers, pencils, whites, eyeglasses and postcards to inmates
- Metro Jail data & the MAIC database indicates: 54.3% of inmates expected to be rearrested within 3 years, MAIC/Goodwill GED graduates: Rate drops to 40%
Religious Services
- Religious services are provided weekly for various faith traditions
2020 Report:
- 27 congregations provide support
- 290 trained volunteers
- 2700 volunteer hours performed
- 308 religious services
- 9 persons baptized
Pre-Release Services
- GED classes and testing provided through volunteers and Goodwill Easterseals staff
- Volunteers coordinate Celebrate Recovery and Fatherhood Initiative meetings
2020 Report:
- 102 inmates attended Celebrate Recovery
- 20 Work Key Certificates obtained
- 338 GED Packets received by inmates
- 35 graduated the GED program
How You Can Help the Metro Jail Chaplaincy Program
Make a financial donation to the Office of the Chaplaincy or give your time. Donate books and magazines for the library.
Donate white t-shirts, socks, bras, boxer shorts and/ or soap (large), toothpaste (AIM/Pepsodent), shampoo (VO5 or clear bottles).
You can provide personal hygiene items by placing the above box in your church or community center. The items help supplement needed hygiene items for our incarcerated brothers and sisters.
5733 Hygiene and Covid-19 kits were provided last year.
Call 251-574-5469 for more information and to request a box.
The Neighbor Center
- Established in 2016 by MAIC
- Offers community-based reentry services for our returning neighbors
- Available to former inmates from local, state, and federal correctional centers
- Provides case management services through individualized goal setting
- Focus on financial stability, self-sufficiency and preventing re-incarceration
- Served 781 individuals since inception 301 have returned to jail 38.5% recidivism
Post-Release Services
- Offers referrals to other area agencies for health care, employment, education, legal assistance and other services.
- Assistance with transportation and identification available.
2020 Report:
- 358 new clients interviewed
- 261 individuals reached out through phone and/or email
- 38 ID's/birth certificates obtained
- 14 placed in education classes
- 53 received transportation assistance
- 95 referred for job assistance
Housing
- Available to individuals or families who are literally homeless or at-risk of homelessness.
- Provides assistance with housing search and short-term financial assistance necessary for securing housing.
2020 Report:
- 24 neighbors placed in transitional or permanent housing
Housing Program
Homelessness and incarceration are related in several ways. Research has demonstrated that a significant percentage of individuals were homeless at the time of their arrest. Nearly 50% of the U.S. homeless population has been incarcerated, and a significant percentage of returning citizens are homeless or insecure in housing. Because public housing is unavailable to most individuals with a record, even as a guest of family members, returning citizens must seek private accommodations. Leasing companies as well as some private landlords often refuse to rent to those with records.
Stable housing is essential to obtaining a job, health care, and building positive relationships. The inability to find adequate housing often leads our neighbors back to prison.
Knowing these barriers, TNC hired a housing manager who went out and advocated for our neighbor clients, and now, our housing program is one our most successful reentry programs.
Since 2017, TNC through MAIC became the applicant agency for funding housing resources for individuals with criminal records, including Emergency Solutions Grants ADECA ESG Rapid Rehousing and Homeless Prevention grants and the Continuum of Care grant for transitional and rapid rehousing of those who are homeless. These housing assistance programs are renewable annually and have been renewed for 2021.
The Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Rapid Rehousing and Homeless Prevention grants are for returning neighbors who are homeless, able to sign their own lease and can afford to move into a home with some assistance to get started. Those eligible will receive assistance with arrears and up to 3-months for rent and utilities. Assistance also includes case management to secure adequate income for housing stability. The Continuum of Care (CoC) is a housing grant that provides Rapid Rehousing and Transitional Housing for returning neighbors who are literally homeless and need transitional housing. With this housing program, the lease is in the agency’s name and we can assist individuals for up to twelve months while a case plan is implemented for securing permanent housing when the individuals are employed. The CoC Rapid Rehousing program assist individuals who are homeless and able to sign their own lease. MAIC can pay a portion of their rent for up to a year.
Last year, 24 families were placed in stable housing so they could become self-sufficient and self-sustaining. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the process of housing a client is taking longer but we are diligently working to secure housing for our homeless returning neighbors.
