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 American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) has declared July 19 to July 25, 2020, as Pretrial, Probation, and Parole Supervision Week (#PPPSWeek)! This annual celebration recognizes the great work done by community corrections professionals on a daily basis. Here, at CSOSA, we again join the APPA and a host of other agencies throughout the…

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] On August 1, 2017, we held the Grand Opening of our newest field site at 2101 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE. This state-of-the-art facility is located less than half a mile from our old Anacostia field site and a bit closer to the Anacostia Metro Station. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Councilmember Anita Bonds,…

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In a recent publication from the DC Policy Center, Robin Selwitz explores the myriad obstacles individuals who have been involved in the criminal justice system face when seeking employment. Involvement in the criminal justice system leads to a litany of aftereffects, commonly known as collateral consequences, which can result in unanticipated burdens to those trying…