It’s Public Service Recognition Week!

Mounting research indicates that there are significant benefits for our communities in helping men and women that have been in prison, jail, or on probation find employment.

Unfortunately, some employers remain reticent to hiring someone who is or has been involved in the justice system, as evidenced by the need for laws such as Ban the Box, which, among other things, makes it illegal for an employer to inquire about criminal history prior to making a conditional offer of employment. In the District’s highly competitive and saturated job market, gainful employment remains an intractable challenge. For some, it is further compounded by the additional challenges posed by their history of involvement with the justice system.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) is accepting applications for a fellowship program to provide new opportunities to people who have successfully completed a period of probation, parole, or supervised release. This program, similar to “Credible Messenger” efforts around the country, calls for the selected candidates to use their own life experiences to…

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]It is with great fondness and appreciation that the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency bid farewell to our former director, Nancy M. Ware. Appointed by then-President Barack Obama, Ms. Ware served as director of CSOSA from December 2011 to December 2017. Her accomplishments over the past six years are numerous. A few of the…

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]CSOSA joined with government and community partners on June 18th in presenting the latest Community Resource Day event, providing information about key services and programs in a videoconference to more than 240 returning citizens who will soon be released from incarceration. The all-day program was attended by District of Columbia inmates who were viewing it…

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] On Friday, June 1, 2018, officers and employees of Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) joined forces for a community clean-up event, kicking off the District of Columbia’s Summer Crime Initiative and building on the longstanding public safety partnership between CSOSA and MPD. The District of Columbia…