Politics & Government

County Looks to Reduce Recidivism With Jobs

Bill under consideration would incentivize hiring of non-violent offenders in Prince George's County.

The Prince George's County Council is looking for ways to make it easier for residents convicted of a non-violent crime to find a job. The goal is to make sure they are able to re-enter society without returning to prison later on down the road. 

"You can put all the policies in place to have strict enforcement to punish those people who commit these crimes," said Council Member Karen Toles (D-District 7), sponsor of CB-37, the Non-Violent Offenders Re-Entry Initiative. "But once they come out, we need to be able to make sure that they are able to fully acclimate themselves back into the community."

Toles' bill attempts to accomplish these goals in two ways. One would give a 10 percent proposal preference for businesses looking to bid on county government projects to any business which participates in programs designed to train and hire county residents who have previously been convicted and jailed for a non-violent crime. 

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The other would require that 25 percent of all new hires in county departments be county residents who have previously been convicted and jailed for a non-violent crime. The county's human resources department would be able to waive this requirement if it finds that an agency has made an effort to fulfill this goal or if the hire of non-violent offenders would compromise public safety.

Recidivism in Prince George's County has been on the decline over the past several years, according to county documents.  A 2012 report on inmate education and workforce development from Prince George's CountyStat shows the Department of Corrections reported a 30 percent one-year recidivism rate in Prince George's County among all offenders in 2011. That's down significantly from a 39 percent one-year recidivism rate reported in 2008. 

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The declining recidivism rate in Prince George's County "mirrors the state's and other jurisdictions," according to the CountyStat Report. "There has been no consensus on causation."

CB-37 is currently making its way through the county's Public Safety and Fiscal Management Committee. 


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