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Des Moines’ Directors Council is ranked No. 1 for the percentage of ex-offenders it has placed into jobs among the 30 regions that are part of the Prisoner Re-Entry Initiative. As of Feb. 22, it had helped secure jobs for 319 of the 366 nonviolent former inmates in its program since March 2005. (See chart below.)

The Directors Council was one of 30 groups to receive a PRI grant from the Department of Labor on March 1, 2006, getting $600,000 over a one-year period, which was renewable for four years. The funding has allowed several nonprofit organizations to increase the number of nonviolent ex-offenders they can provide services to. Spectrum Resources is leading the charge, especially in helping ex-offenders find employment. Most jobs are in construction, hospitality and clerical and administrative, said Ericka Wiley, vice president of operations for Spectrum Resources.

Spectrum Resources also hosted the first annual ex-offender job fair last month and is looking to hire staff to open a second office in the 2nd Judicial District in Northern Iowa. It has placed four employees in Iowa Workforce Development’s 5th Judicial District office this year to help former inmates with job skills, such as writing resumes and interviewing. The Directors Council also was one of only five groups to receive a $1 million grant to help ex-offenders who are returning from state or federal institutions and are between ages 18 and 29; Spectrum Resources is leading that effort.

Prisoner Re-Entry Initiative program report
As of Feb. 22, 2008

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