[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Type “definition of success” into an Internet search tool and you are bound to get a wide-ranging variety of responses. Regardless of how you define success, many find that the path to achieving it is not a straight line. Persevering in the face of obstacles and setbacks is critical. We acknowledge that while every path…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We are once again joining the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) and a host of other agencies in recognizing members of the community corrections and supervision workforce during this year’s Pretrial, Probation, and Parole Supervision Week (PPPS Week) – July 21 to July 27, 2019. During this PPPS Week, community corrections professionals are encouraged…
[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]CSOSA Director Richard S. Tischner and other key agency staff members recently visited a faith-based program in Milwaukee that has successfully trained scores of returning citizens and helped them find well-paying jobs in manufacturing and other sectors. The mid-May fact-finding mission was arranged at the suggestion of Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, who talked about…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]WASHINGTON – More than 70 employees and officers of the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) worked together in a citywide clean-up to launch of the District of Columbia’s Summer Crime Initiative. The May 31, 2019 event – “Team Up to Clean Up” – started with a kick-off…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In recognition of April as Second Chance Month, CSOSA invited leaders and representatives of business and training programs to Second Chance at Work – an event drawing attention to the obstacles justice-involved individuals face when entering the workforce and highlighting the work that CSOSA and our partners do to prepare people under supervision for the…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] As CSOSA works to effectively supervise adults on probation, parole, and supervised release in the District of Columbia, in order to enhance public safety, reduce recidivism, support the fair administration of justice, we collaborate closely with our criminal justice partners and the community. These partnerships are integral to promoting accountability, inclusion, and successful reintegration…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] The Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia welcomes Richard S. Tischner as our third presidentially-appointed Director. Mr. Tischner has been a public servant for more than 33 years. He has served as an attorney for the Federal Government of the United States at the Merit Systems Protection Board as…
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]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…