GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF THE CHESAPEAKE, INC.— SUPPORTING EXOFFENDERS IN EMPLOYMENT TRAINING AND TRANSITIONAL SERVICES (MD)

Program Description
In 1919, Reverend John S. German and a group of prominent civic leaders incorporated the Baltimore Goodwill Industries and opened the first factory in the Fellowship Hall of the Broadway Methodist Episcopal Church. Over the next thirty years, Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake (GIC) collection efforts grew dramatically to help others become independent community members.

GIC's program to serve individuals who were formerly incarcerated, called the SEETTS program ( Supporting Ex-Offenders in Employment Training and Transitional Services ), started in March 2001 after six months of preparation. Its two major components are: (1) an inside the prison job-readiness/transitional planning component and (2) a community-based job readiness, job placement, and job retention component. For the work at the Metropolitan Transition Center (MTC), a prison located in Baltimore, the target population is men who are in their last months of incarceration; their average age is 36 and almost all return to Baltimore City.

GIC services at the MTC include seven weeks of job readiness training with the goal of helping individuals to gain employment within two weeks of release. GIC services are provided in coordination with the MTC administration, social work staff, and transition coordinators. A recent addition has been Baltimore City Community College, which provides pre-GED and GED instructors. Within 48 hours of release, offenders served on the inside are expected to come to Goodwill's downtown Baltimore career center for final preparation for employment and job placement. Offenders at the MTC hear about the Goodwill program from administrative sources, from the social work department, and most of all from other prisoners.

The community component of GIC's SEETTS program, as noted above, does the job placement work for individuals served on the inside. This component also serves offenders who participate while on probation or parole. Both men and women are served. Some are recently released from prison or jail but were not served by Goodwill while on the inside. Individuals from the community typically take five to seven weeks to prepare for employment. Most people hear about the Goodwill community program from parole and probation officers, other organizations, or word of mouth.

Program Goals
SEETTS seeks to increase public safety, reduce recidivism, and stop the cycle of drug abuse and criminal behavior by providing inmates and former offenders with providing interviewing skills, teaching business etiquette, and working on resumes.

Networking, Partnering & Collaboration
Goodwill partners with social services and businesses in the community. Key partners include:

• The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Corrections, especially the Metropolitan Transition Center.
• Parole and Probation.
• Transitional living programs, especially those provided by faith-based organizations.
• Drug and alcohol treatment programs.
• Adult literacy programs.
• Employers, especially in transportation/logistics, retail (especially Goodwill retail), hospitality/tourism, and construction.
• Other workforce development agencies, especially STRIVE and Associated Catholic Charities.
• Foundations, especially Abell and Open Society Institute-Baltimore.
• Somatic health care providers.
• Mental health clinics.
• Community development corporations, especially the Bon Secours CDC.

Outcomes
From March 2001 to June 15, 2003, SEETTS has served 1,116 offenders -- 348 individuals from the MTC and 768 people from the community. 112 people served from the MTC have gained employment during this period; 242 persons served from the community gained employment. Data is gathered in a client tracking system on individuals served, what services are provided, where, for how long, and whether
the person gained employment. Following employment, retention is also tracked. GIC has not had a formal evaluation conducted of the program but plans on doing so in the future.

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