Getting jobs for ex-offenders key to keeping them from crime

Probation officers also play role despite heavy caseload

More than 10 years of Robert Wheeler’s life was spent locked in a California federal prison after he was convicted of multiple drug and weapon possession charges.

Upon his release roughly two years ago, Wheeler, 43, found himself without a job, without resources, the world utterly changed. He eventually landed a construction job, but his supervisor demanded as a caveat that Wheeler undertake a four-week training program for ex-offenders. Wheeler now credits that program with helping him gain the necessary professional skills so that he didn’t commit another crime.

State turns to outreach programs to reduce recidivism

Experts and advocates for prisoners say that providing offenders assistance immediately upon their release is the most infallible method of ensuring they don’t backslide. But those on the front lines of the recidivism battle — probation officers — are historically overworked and underpaid, leading the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to turn to supplemental programs to assist inmates. Those initiatives include connecting inmates with outside employment and educational opportunities, and an emphasis on attracting and training quality probation officers.

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