Job Placement Key to Fla. Juvenile-Justice Program February 23, 2001
News Summary
A Florida program that pairs the state's juvenile-detention system with the home-builders industry is meeting with success in providing job placement for juvenile offenders and lowering the recidivism rate, Youth Crime Alert reported in its January issue.Facing a booming real-estate market and a tight labor pool, the Home Builders Institute, the educational arm of the National Home Builders Association, worked with Florida officials to create a unique program called Project Craft.
Working with Florida's juvenile-detention facilities, the Home Builders Institute provides training to incarcerated youth in brick masonry, carpentry, electrical wiring, facilities maintenance, landscaping, painting, plumbing, and solar-panel installation.
Juveniles participating in the program receive hands-on training and 210 hours of classroom training, including industry-specific math, communication literacy, and GED preparation. In addition, the program focuses on leadership and self-esteem building activities, life skills, work ethics, and budget management.
Upon completion of Project Craft, participants receive pre-apprenticeship certification and job-placement assistance.
According to a 10-month study conducted between 1998 and 1999, 425 incarcerated youth graduated from the program, with a 92-percent rate of job placement. Most were placed in jobs with a starting salary of $7.63 an hour. The recidivism rate among Project Craft graduates is 6.4 percent.
Project Craft is funded by the state juvenile-justice department. In addition to Florida, the program is implemented in Maryland, Texas, North Dakota and Tennessee.
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