U.S. Department of Justice

Transition and Offender Workforce Development

The Transition and Offender Workforce Development Division (TOWDD) coordinates the efforts of federal, state, local, and nonprofit agencies to improve employment programs for offenders and ex-offenders. The division assists corrections professionals who provide direct services to offenders and ex-offenders.

The Transition and Offender Workforce Development Division:

  • Collects and disseminates information on offender employment programs.
  • Provides training for staff who provide employment services to offenders and ex-offenders.
  • Provides assistance to state and local agencies for improving job training, placement, and retention services for offenders.
  • Develops partnerships with federal, state, and local agencies to provide offender workforce development training in their home jurisdictions.



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Doug Burris, Chief U.S. Probation Officer for the Eastern District of Missouri, talks about his district's involvement in the Offender Workforce Development Specialist (OWDS) training program and the impact it has made on employment rates and revocation rates. The video is best viewed in Internet Explorer.

Direct Link: http://community.nicic.gov/files/folders/4991/download.aspx

Recommended Reading

Date Title Type
2011 NIC Publication
A description of the Offender Workforce Development Specialist (OWDS) Partnership Training Program is provided. “This administrative guide provides an overview of the training program, including its benefits and requirements…and information needed to... Read More
PDF
2011 NIC Publication
Results from an ongoing evaluation project on the effectiveness of offender workforce development (OWD) services are presented. “Drug and alcohol abuse and/or not continuing substance abuse treatment was identified as almost a universal barrier to po... Read More
PDF
2006 NIC Publication
"OES: Building Bridges" is a training program featuring a variety of OES (Offender Employment Specialist) professionals in jails, prisons, probation and parole, community corrections, community-based organizations, and faith-based organizations. Thes... Read More
2005 NIC Publication
This package provides you with a collection of resources for use in a correctional facility Career Center. Contents include:
  • A computer assisted Career Clerk training program, with the following modules: what the job of a Career Clerk is... Read More
2010 NIC Publication
“This bulletin highlights the ways career resource centers are being used in jails , prisons, and community supervision offices to improve the long-term employment prospects of offenders” (p.1). Sections of this publication include: common elements o... Read More
2008 NIC Publication
Each year, more and more employers are requiring job applicants to apply online or at a computer kiosk. Offenders in prisons, jails, parole and probation offices, faith-based agencies, and community-based organizations can use this CD-ROM to practice... Read More
ZIP
2009 NIC Publication
This document highlights Vermont’s Workforce Development Program. Male participants that successfully completed the program lowered their reincarceration rate from 74% to 59% at six months following release, females lowered their rate from 63% to 38%... Read More
PDF
2009 NIC Publication
“This instructional disk is intended to provide you with a comprehensive overview of Labor Market Information (LMI) and give you the informational tools to increase short-term and long-term employment outcomes for the offenders under your supervision... Read More
2008 NIC Publication
This 3-hour program, broadcast in August 2008, focuses on the history and benefits of correctional industries and ways to balance competing interests. Employment is a critical factor in successful reentry. Career assistance, life skills, and job trai... Read More
2010 NIC Publication
“The purpose of this bulletin is to explore the literature and summarize the empirical evidence related to the impact of employment on the criminal behavior of women” (p. 2). Sections comprising this publication are: female offender demographics; bar... Read More
PDF
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Available Training Opportunities

  • Starts Sep. 10, 2012 - Offender Workforce Development Specialist Partnership Training Program
    This training addresses numerous competencies, including career development theory and application, ethics training for the career development facilitator, and transition interventions for the offender population.
  • Available Online - Workforce Development and Women Offenders
    This e-course is intended for individuals working or volunteering in prisons, jails, community corrections, community and faith-based organizations, U.S. Department of Labor One-Stops, and other governmental organizations such as health and human services who are interested in workforce development issues specific to women offenders.
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