Corrections
Inmate Rehab & Recidivism

March 2007 position paper

Goodwill supports programs that promote job training, education and rehabilitation for individuals who have a disability or a particular barrier to employment, including incarceration and/or a criminal record.  Goodwill organizations specialize in these types of programs throughout the state and provide support to many ex-offenders who are looking for assistance and training to get back to work.

In particular, the San Francisco-based Goodwill has partnered with the San Francisco District Attorney’s office to create “Back on Track.”  This program diverts first-time drug dealers from prison and gives them extensive counseling and job support.  In exchange, they maintain a paying job and perform community service for one year. In exchange, they maintain a paying job and perform community service for one year.  The program boasts a recidivism rate of less than 10 percent!

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March 2006 position paper

As the nation’s largest provider of job-training services, Goodwill Industries is uniquely positioned to lead the successful re-entry of ex-offenders into mainstream society.  Currently, local Goodwill agencies offer a variety of programs that serve the ex-offender population.  These programs address issues relative to housing, job training, substance abuse and health, including mental health.  Furthermore, these programs aim to prevent prisoner recidivism, an all-too-common trend that results in an ever-increasing burden on local communities and taxpayers. Last year alone, Goodwill agencies throughout the nation served nearly 44,000 individuals in or exiting the U.S. prison system.

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