You are here

Employment Assistance Program

What is the Employment Assistance Program:

A release condition that requires people on supervision to work at a lawful occupation unless excused for school, training, or other acceptable reasons.  

How the Court uses it

  • To make it more likely that people will succeed on supervision because they're gainfully employed.
  • To make it less likely that they'll resort to crime to support themselves.

The officer's duties

  • Build relationships with agencies and individuals in the community who can help people on supervision find and keep jobs, including:
    – nonprofit organizations
    – local and state employment services
    – chambers of commerce
    – employers
  • Direct people on supervision to community resources that prepare them for employment through such services as:
    – skill assessment
    – job training
    – workshops that address resume preparation and job searches
  • Verify their job-seeking efforts.
  • Verify that they are working by:
    – Visiting them at work.
    – Reviewing their pay stubs.
    – Keeping in touch with their employers.
  • Take steps to control and correct the situation if people on supervision:
    – Fail to report to work on time or at all.
    – Lose jobs or change jobs frequently.
    – Maintain a lifestyle beyond their income.
    – Otherwise fail to comply with their release conditions.

The officer's challenges

People on supervision face considerable obstacles to employment, which officers must help them overcome. For example, these individuals

  • may be struggling with problems that they need to address before they can work, including
    – substance abuse;
    – poor health; and
    – a lack of the basic needs in life, such as housing and food
  • may lack the education or skills to get a job.
  • may find employers reluctant to hire them because of their criminal backgrounds and lack of work experience.

What the benefits are

  • Provides educational or vocational training that enables people on supervision to earn a living wage.
  • Enables them to support themselves and their families.
  • Makes it less likely that they'll commit crime.
  • Enables them to pay taxes and any fines and restitution ordered by the court