Agenda Item#__________
Columbus Consolidated Government
Council Meeting
Agenda Report#_____________
To: Mayor and Council
Subject: GLWDA Strategic Programming Grant: ?Ex-Offender Re-entry Initiative?
Initiated By: Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA) Department Job
Training Division
________________________________________________________________________
Recommendation: Approval is requested to submit an application and if
approved, accept funds from the Georgia Department of Economic Development
Workforce Division (WFD) for the Georgia Local Workforce Development Area
(GLWDA) Strategic Programming Grant: ?Ex-Offender Re-Entry Initiative?, in the
amount of $125,000.00, or otherwise awarded, for the expansion of basic &
employability skills; ?in-demand? employment training; and innovative workforce
development programs for appropriate participants who have recently been
released from prison and/or those who are within six months of release who are
also living in, or plan on remaining in Muscogee County, to include capacity
building for a period of two years, with no local match requirement, and to
amend the WIOA Department/Job Training Division Fund (0220) by the amount of
the grant awarded.
Background: Although the Local Workforce Development Area (LWDA) ? WIOA
Department/Job Training Division has not previously received an Ex-Offender
Grant, the ?Giving the Deserving Another Chance? (GDAC) program was funded
from 2011 until 2013 with funding provided by the Columbus Crime Prevention
Board. During that time, one hundred seventy-four (174) participants were
served with one hundred sixty-six (166) completing the program. By program
end, one hundred nine (109 or 66%) were placed in full-time employment.
Further, the employment rate at the Columbus Transition Center increased from
68% to 89% (a 31% increase). Transition Center Director Lawrence Stewart
attributes this increase directly to the success of the GDAC program. Finally,
the one-year recidivism rate for participants was calculated in January 2015
and only 11 of the 166 (6.6%) had returned to prison. The State of Georgia is
well positioned to further expand the State?s innovative programmatic offering
and workforce system capacity. WFD is making available Governor?s Reserve
funds to allow for program development in strategic categories. The ?Ex-
Offender Re-Entry Initiative? provides an opportunity for local areas to expand
their services to returning citizens released from prison who are living in or
plan on remaining in Muscogee County for the foreseeable future. Awarded
funding will be expended over a two year period.
Analysis: The funding from the grant will allow the WIOA Department / Job
Training Division to partner with State and local agencies to focus on
coordinating a collaborative effort aimed to ensure that returning citizens
released from prison have the skill sets and support needed to succeed in the
community in order to reduce recidivism and improve public safety for the City
of Columbus and Muscogee County. Initiatives to help former prisoners re-enter
society have become a renewed priority across the country. According to the
Georgia Public Policy Foundation, the Georgia adult prison population more than
doubled to nearly 56,000 inmates between 1990 and 2011. As 2011 began,
Georgia?s incarceration rate ? 1 in 70 adults behind bars ? was the fourth
highest in the nation, and another 8 percent jump in the inmate population was
predicted over the next five years. Over the past decade, a greater proportion
of inmates have been released without post-prison supervision and without
services to assist them with finding jobs, housing and needed support services.
Financial Considerations: The grant amount requested is $125,000.00, or
otherwise awarded, for the WIOA Department Job Training Division as acting
administrator. There is no financial obligation for the City.
Legal Considerations: A resolution from the City Council authorizing
application for the grant, accept the award on behalf of the City and authorize
the City Manager to execute contract(s)/documentation to implement the
proposed programming.
Recommendation: Authorize a resolution to approve the City to submit an
application for, and if awarded, accept a grant from the Georgia Department of
Economic Development Workforce Division for the GLWDA Strategic Programming
Grant: ?Ex-Offender Re-Entry Initiative? for the expansion of basic &
employability skills; ?in-demand? employment training; and innovative workforce
development programs for appropriate participants who have recently been
released from prison and/or those who are within six months of release who are
also living in, or plan on remaining in Muscogee County, to include capacity
building for a period of two years, with no local match requirement, and to
amend the WIOA Department/Job Training Division Fund (0220) by the amount of
the grant awarded.
A RESOLUTION
NO.
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE COUMBUS CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT OF COLUMBUS,
GEORGIA, TO SUBMIT APPLICATION FOR, AND, IF APPROVED, ACCEPT A GRANT IN THE
AMOUNT OF $125,000.00, OR OTHERWISE AWARDED, FROM THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WORKFORCE DIVISION AND AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO
APPROVE ANY CONTRACT(S)/DOCUMENTENTATION ON BEHALF OF THE CITY; AUTHORIZE
CAPACITY BUILDING PURCHASES FOR EDUCATIONAL/INDUSTRIAL TRAINING, SHOULD THE
APPLICATION RECEIVE APPROVAL, WITH NO LOCAL MATCH REQUIREMENT AND TO AMEND THE
WIOA DEPARTMENT/JOB TRAINING DIVISION FUND (0220) BY THE APPLICABLE AMOUNT.
WHEREAS, the Georgia Local Workforce Development Area (GLWDA) Strategic
Programming Grant: ?Ex-Offender Re-Entry Initiative? is funded by the
Governor?s Reserve funds from the US Department of Labor made available through
the Georgia Department of Economic Development Workforce Division (WFD) with
the purpose of funding basic, employability and industry specific training
services; innovative workforce development programs, and capacity building for
a two year period ending June 30, 2018; and,
WHEREAS, the Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA) Department/Job
Training Division and Workforce Development Board (WDB) Chair requests
permission to apply for the Georgia Department of Economic Development WFD ?
GLWDA Strategic Programming Grant: ?Ex-offender Re-Entry Initiative; and,
WHEREAS, the purpose of this funding is to serve one hundred (100) appropriate
participants who have recently been released from prison and/or those who are
within six months of release who are also living in, or plan on remaining in
Muscogee County for the foreseeable future; and,
WHEREAS, the WIOA Department/Job Training Division, WDB Board, Governor?s
Office of Transition, Support and Reentry, Georgia Department of Corrections,
Georgia Department of Community Supervision, and the Columbus Crime Prevention
Board are committed to coordinating a collaborative effort aimed to ensure that
every returning citizen released from prison has the skill sets and support
needed to succeed in the community in order to reduce recidivism and improve
public safety at no cost to the Columbus Consolidated Government.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE COUNCIL OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA, HEREBY RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
That the WIOA Department/Job Training Division and WDB Chair are hereby
authorized to submit an application and if approved, accept a grant from the
Georgia Department of Economic Development WFD for $125,000.00, or otherwise
awarded and authorize the City Manager to approve any Contract(s)/Documentation
on behalf of the City; and authorize Capacity Building purchases for
educational/industrial training, with no local match requirement and to amend
the WIOA Department/Job Training Division fund (0220) by the amount of the
grant awarded.
___________
Introduced at a regular meeting of the Council of Columbus, Georgia, held
the _________ day of _____________ 2016, and adopted at said meeting by the
affirmative vote of
_____________ members of said Council.
Councilor Allen voting __________.
Councilor Baker voting __________.
Councilor Barnes voting __________.
Councilor Buck voting __________.
Councilor Davis voting __________.
Councilor Henderson voting __________.
Councilor Huff voting __________.
Councilor Turner Pugh voting __________.
Councilor Thomas voting __________.
Councilor Woodson voting __________.
_____________________________
_________________________
Tiny B. Washington, Clerk of Council Teresa Pike
Tomlinson, Mayor
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