Offender Empowerment Program
Program Description
The Offender Empowerment Program is a service offered by the Green Hills Community Action Agency (covering the northern Missouri counties of Harrison, Mercer, Putnam, Daviess, Grundy, Linn, Sullivan, Caldwell, and Livingston). The program seeks to assist offenders to once again become productive members of society.
Program participants must be referred by area Probation & Parole offices to the Offender Empowerment Program. Offenders receive individualized case management services that analyze an offender’s educational, employability, and environmental skill sets. This will allow customized supports to be in place to promote self-sufficiency through improved/enhanced skill sets. Offenders possessing improved employability skills will help strengthen themselves, their families, and ultimately the communities in which they reside.
In addition, our hope and belief is that community members will become more actively involved in the re-integration of the offenders back into their communities. This can be accomplished through development of employment worksites and securing or locating resources across our service area. This positive integration between community partners and offenders will help strengthen linkages and encourage offenders to become vested in the communities where they reside; ultimately strengthening both the social and human capital within the counties of the GHCAA region.
Project Goals
Project Barriers
Desired Project Outcomes
Return on Investment
The program will be cost effective as individuals will improve their employability skill set to help move toward self sufficiency; in addition to being re-integrated back into their communities as vested productive members. This project is structured to allow offender human capital well as social capital growth within the district communities. Probation & Parole indicated cost per year to the tax payer to house offender in the penal system is at a minimum $25,000.00.
Some Quick Facts
Working Together
The GHCAA Offender Empowerment program is building partnerships with many state & local agencies and businesses to help this program succeed. Please call us with any questions!
Jessica Higdon
Program Case Manager
660-359-3907 ext. 1023
855-290-8544
[email protected]
(Application)
The Offender Empowerment Program is a service offered by the Green Hills Community Action Agency (covering the northern Missouri counties of Harrison, Mercer, Putnam, Daviess, Grundy, Linn, Sullivan, Caldwell, and Livingston). The program seeks to assist offenders to once again become productive members of society.
Program participants must be referred by area Probation & Parole offices to the Offender Empowerment Program. Offenders receive individualized case management services that analyze an offender’s educational, employability, and environmental skill sets. This will allow customized supports to be in place to promote self-sufficiency through improved/enhanced skill sets. Offenders possessing improved employability skills will help strengthen themselves, their families, and ultimately the communities in which they reside.
In addition, our hope and belief is that community members will become more actively involved in the re-integration of the offenders back into their communities. This can be accomplished through development of employment worksites and securing or locating resources across our service area. This positive integration between community partners and offenders will help strengthen linkages and encourage offenders to become vested in the communities where they reside; ultimately strengthening both the social and human capital within the counties of the GHCAA region.
Project Goals
- Individualized case management plan for offenders accepted into the program
- Re-integration of the offender back in the community they reside
- Improvement of Offender's Skill Set
Project Barriers
- Lack of understanding & responsiveness to the unavailability of community resources for offenders
- Lack of holistic specialized case management services
- Lack of educational, employment, or housing opportunities for offenders
Desired Project Outcomes
- Individuals will have accessible or increased employment opportunities
- Placement opportunities will be developed for Offenders
- Organizations, public & private, CAP works with to expand resources & opportunities in order to achieve family & community outcomes
Return on Investment
The program will be cost effective as individuals will improve their employability skill set to help move toward self sufficiency; in addition to being re-integrated back into their communities as vested productive members. This project is structured to allow offender human capital well as social capital growth within the district communities. Probation & Parole indicated cost per year to the tax payer to house offender in the penal system is at a minimum $25,000.00.
Some Quick Facts
- Nearly 650,000 people are released from U.S. prisons annually, and over 7 million are released from jails;
- 2 of every 3 people released from prison in the US reoffend within 3 years of release;
- Two thirds of offenders do not have a high school diploma or GED;
- Two thirds of the re-entry population have children under the age of 18;
- Dept. 8 Probation & Parole indicated the cost per year to house an offender in the penal system is at a minimum of $25,000.
- Offenders who engage in a mentoring relationship are on average 40% less likely to re-offend.
Working Together
The GHCAA Offender Empowerment program is building partnerships with many state & local agencies and businesses to help this program succeed. Please call us with any questions!
Jessica Higdon
Program Case Manager
660-359-3907 ext. 1023
855-290-8544
[email protected]
(Application)