Bill Overview
Title: Expanding Reentry Employment Assistance Act
Description: This bill provides statutory authority for the Department of Labor's Reentry Employment Opportunities program, which provides competitive grants to improve employment and training outcomes and reduce recidivism of justice-involved individuals.
Sponsors: Rep. Espaillat, Adriano [D-NY-13]
Target Audience
Population: justice-involved individuals
Estimated Size: 10000000
- The bill targets 'justice-involved individuals,' which includes people who have been arrested, charged, or convicted of a crime.
- The goal is to improve employment and training outcomes for these individuals.
- Secondary benefits might extend to their families and communities as reducing recidivism can enhance community safety and social welfare.
- Programs are about reintegration into society and economy, impacting local job markets and workforce compositions.
Reasoning
- The Reentry Employment Assistance Act focuses on assisting approximately 10 million justice-involved individuals, aiming to improve their employment prospects and reduce recidivism.
- With a budget of $50 million in year 1 and $542 million over 10 years, the policy needs to allocate resources carefully; likely, only a fraction of the estimated 10 million can be meaningfully impacted each year.
- Impacts will vary by individual circumstances, including past offenses, current employment status, support systems, and local economic conditions.
- Providing a wide range of scenarios—from those severely impacted by justice involvement to those minimally impacted or indirectly affected (e.g., family members)—gives a full spectrum of policy impact.
- We include people who might not experience direct benefits but whose family members might, understanding broader social benefits could occur.
Simulated Interviews
Ex-construction worker (Atlanta, Georgia)
Age: 32 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think this policy could really give me the chance to learn new skills and find a stable job.
- It's hard finding work when most employers don't want to hire someone with a record.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Unemployed (Newark, New Jersey)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 3
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Access to training programs would mean everything for me and my son.
- I'm hopeful but skeptical because I've heard promises like this before.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 3 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Part-time delivery driver (Dallas, Texas)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Grants would be helpful, but I'm more concerned about ongoing support instead of just a one-off program.
- I've been on my own since release, managing okay but it's still tough to expand my business.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Student (Los Angeles, California)
Age: 23 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 18/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Reentry programs are great, but they need to include education scholarships too.
- I've gotten some help through school, but more would make a difference.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Full-time retail worker (Detroit, Michigan)
Age: 39 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 20/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm not directly impacted by this policy, but I know people who could benefit.
- Programs like these can really transform lives for families too.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Community outreach worker (Miami, Florida)
Age: 41 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- These grants are critical, but they have to be spent wisely to truly make a difference.
- Seeing cycles of re-incarceration makes it clear existing support isn't enough.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Unemployed (Cleveland, Ohio)
Age: 55 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 2
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy is a lifeline I desperately need.
- I've faced so much rejection; I hope this can help find someone willing to hire.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Year 2 | 4 | 2 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 3 |
Software developer (Seattle, Washington)
Age: 30 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This kind of policy is great but needs to target those who need the most help first.
- I'm glad to see steps being taken, though my career isn't affected.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Part-time server (Houston, Texas)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- If this helps me find a better job, then I'm all for it.
- The stigma makes it hard to get back on my feet even though I'm working towards my degree.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Mechanic (Queens, New York)
Age: 34 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- A program like this could stabilize my finances if I gain more skills.
- I've always had to hustle to keep afloat; comprehensive support would be new.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $50000000 (Low: $40000000, High: $60000000)
Year 2: $51000000 (Low: $41000000, High: $61000000)
Year 3: $52000000 (Low: $42000000, High: $62000000)
Year 5: $54000000 (Low: $44000000, High: $64000000)
Year 10: $58000000 (Low: $48000000, High: $68000000)
Year 100: $100000000 (Low: $80000000, High: $120000000)
Key Considerations
- Effective implementation and monitoring of grant recipients' programs is necessary.
- Coordination with existing state and local programs could amplify impact.
- Long-term success hinges on economic integration reducing recidivism rather than temporary job placement.