Contact:
Washington, DC Department of Employment Services
609 H Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002
202-724-7000
Web Site: www.does.ci.washington.dc.us/main.shtm

Information about State Department of Labor resources may be of interest to:
• potential employers looking for incentives to hire individuals with criminal histories;
• service providers and individuals with criminal histories who are looking for assistance in finding employment; and
• researchers and policy makers looking at current programs to ascertain what programs are effective and serve their intended purpose.

A. Federal Bonding Program
The Federal Bonding Program provides fidelity bonding insurance coverage to individuals with criminal histories and other high-risk job applicants who are qualified, but fail to get jobs because regular commercial bonding is denied due to their backgrounds.

Contact:
DC Department of Employment Services
609 H Street, NE
Room 412
Washington, DC 20001
202-698-3540
202-698-5717 fax

B. Tax Credits
The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a federal tax credit to reduce the federal tax liability of private for profit employers to be used as an incentive for employers to hire individuals from eight different targeted groups: TANF recipients, veterans, ex-felons, high risk youth, summer youth, Food Stamp recipients, SSI recipients, and vocational rehabilitation referrals.

Contact:
Washington, DC Department of Employment Services
609 H Street, NE
Room 535
Washington, DC 20002
202-698-5849
202-698-5720 fax

C. Unemployment Insurance Office
Unemployment compensation is a social insurance program designed to provide benefits to most individuals out of work, generally through no fault of their own, for periods between jobs. In order to be eligible for benefits, jobless workers must demonstrate that they have worked, usually measured by amount of wages and/or weeks of work, and must be able and available for work.

The unemployment compensation program is based upon federal law, but administered by states under state law.

Claim applications may be filed at selected One-Stop Career Centers in the District of Columbia but applicants must first call to make an appointment. A list of One-Stop locations is available at the website listed below.

Contact:
Washington, DC Department of Employment Services
609 H Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002
202-724-7000
Web Site: www.does.ci.washington.dc.us/main.shtm

II. Criminal Record Repository
This is the agency individuals may contact to obtain a copy of their state rap sheet. The criminal record repository can also tell the individual who else is legally entitled to have access to his or her record.

There are two ways to request a copy of a criminal record: by visiting a Metropolitan Police Department or requesting a copy by mail. Searches can be made using fingerprints or the subject's name. A fee of $5 is required with each request. The cost of fingerprinting is $24. Detailed information on how to obtain a criminal record may be found at the D.C. Employment Justice Center’s web site: www.dcejc.org.

Contact:
DC Metropolitan Police Department Headquarters
300 Indiana Avenue, NW
Room 3055
Washington, DC 20001
202-727-2228

III. State Attorney General
Employers and service providers may obtain information from the state attorney general regarding occupational bars, the licensing of individuals with criminal records in certain jobs, and whether the state has laws that limit what employers may ask job applicants or protections against employment discrimination based on a criminal record.

Contact:
DC Corporation Counsel
Office of the Corporation Counsel
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Suite 409
Washington, DC 20004
202-727-3400
Web Site: www.occ.dc.gov/occ/site/default.asp

IV. State Department of Corrections

Department of Corrections

The Mayor of Washington, DC appoints a director to oversee the Department of Corrections which is responsible for administering institutional and community-based services to misdemeanant and pretrial detainees. The Department of Corrections currently operates the Central Detention Facility (DC Jail) and a community correctional center in the District. The 898-bed correctional treatment facility in Southeast Washington houses a number of District inmates who are currently on lease to private prison management (Corrections Corporation of America). The Department also contracts with several community correctional centers. As required by federal law, the Washington, DC government transferred all of its sentenced felons to the Federal Bureau of Prisons and ceased operating the Lorton Correctional Complex on December 31, 2001.

Contact:
1923 Vermont Avenue, NW
Room 203
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 671-2135
(202) 671-2043 fax
Web Site: www.doc.dc.gov/doc/site/default.asp

Halfway Houses reintegrate inmates into the community before release from custody. Halfway houses offer programs including educational opportunities and work release to help inmates make the transition from confinement in a facility to the community. Services offered include case management, employment assistance/job readiness, individual and group counseling, substance abuse intervention, in-house NA/AA meetings/referrals, academic tutoring, GED preparation, basic life skills, family planning, peer association, financial assistance, health services, interpersonal communication/socialization skills, stress/anger management, AIDS/HIV awareness, Bible study/prison fellowship (provided by volunteers), and social services assistance/referrals.

Contact:
Washington, DC Department of Corrections
1923 Vermont Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001
202-671-2135 (General Information)
E-Mail: director.doc@dc.gov

V. Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency

The Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) provides supervisory and treatment services to over 26,000 individuals on pretrial release, probation and parole. CSOSA also assists federal and local courts in determining eligibility for release.

Contact:
Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency
633 Indiana Avenue, NW
12th Floor
Washington, DC 20004
202-220-5343
202-220-5335 fax
Web Site: www.csosa.gov

Contact:

VI. Legal Assistance
Free or low-cost legal resources, both in civil and criminal law, are helpful to individuals with criminal histories in learning about relevant state laws governing the expungement or sealing of criminal histories or addressing other legal issues resulting from having a criminal history.

A. State Public Defender

Contact:
Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia
633 Indiana Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20004
202-628-1200
202-824-2784 fax

B. Legal Services

D.C. Employment Justice Center assists individuals with criminal records with employment problems and performs community education.

Contact:
D.C. Employment Justice Center
1350 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
202-828-9675
202-828-9190 fax
Web Site: www.dcejc.org

The Legal Aid Society provides free legal assistance in the areas of family law (including custody, visitation, child support, and domestic violence issues), landlord-tenant (including defending against Superior Court evictions, as well as Section 8 and DCHA administrative proceedings), public benefits (TANF, food stamps, Medicaid, General Assistance for Children, or POWER) and special education cases. It also provides social work assistance to legal clients.

Contact:
The Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia
666 Eleventh Street, NW
Suite 800
Washington, DC 20001
202-628-1161
202-727-2132 fax
Web Site: www.legalaiddc.org

Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) is doing work on best practices and funding for employment programs for individuals with criminal records.

Contact:
Center for Law and Social Policy
1015 15th Street, NW
Suite 400
Washington, DC 20005
202-906-8000

DC Prisoners' Legal Services Project works on re-entry through education and direct representation.

Contact:
DC Prisoners' Legal Services Project
1400 20th Street, NW
Suite 117
Washington, DC 20036
202-775-0323

C. State Bar Association

Contact:
Bar Association of the District of Columbia
1225 19th Street, NW
Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036
202-223-6600
202-293-3388 fax
Web Site: www.badc.org

VII. Local Service Providers
Community agencies are available to assist individuals with criminal records find employment. This information will inform individuals with criminal records about government agencies and community-based organizations that assist with employment, education or vocational training. Researchers and policy makers may find this information useful in identifying agencies and service providers in order to evaluate the effectiveness of these programs.

The District of Columbia Department of Employment Services (DOES) provides job seekers with a number of employment opportunities through its One Stop Career Centers. Each center provides career counseling, career planning, resume assistance, direct job placement, classroom and on-the-job training, access to America's Job Bank (both online and via telephone), information about local and national labor markets, unemployment compensation and much more. Locations of One Stop Career Centers may be found on the web site listed below.

Contact:
Department of Employment Services
77 P Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002
202-671-1900
Web Site: does.ci.washington.dc.us/main.shtm

The Employment Services Program of Community Family Life Services (CFLS) provides job training, referrals, and employment counseling to help the unemployed, poor, and homeless find and keep good jobs. Services offered through the Employment Services Program are free to clients. Those enrolled in the job training programs receive weekly stipends. After an initial assessment, clients are required to attend a job preparation seminar conducted by CFLS staff. Employment counselors also provide clients with job search assistance (job postings, resume preparation, professional clothing, etc.), assistance with "soft skills" development (trainings about punctuality, how to dress and act on the job, problem-solving, etc.), and linkages to other supportive services (health care, child care, housing, etc.)

Contact:
Community Family Life Services
305 E Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
202-347-0511
202-347-0520 fax
Web Site: www.cfls.org

Conquest Offender Reintegration Ministries (CORM) is a Washington, DC Christian ministry working with the local church and area corrections officials to provide support and options to those affected by, or at risk of being affected by the criminal justice system. Two major projects of CORM are the Reintegration of Ex-Offenders Project and Transitional Housing and Aftercare Center. Information about these programs and other programs offered by CORM is available on the web site listed below.

Contact:
Conquest Offender Reintegration Ministries
P.O. Box 73873
Washington, DC 20056
202-723-2014
Web Site: www.conquesthouse.org

Anacostia Men's Employment Network (A-men!) is a faith-based organization that is part of Southeast Ministries sponsored by the Lutheran Church of the Reformation, Washington, D.C. Clients are men and women who are recently released individuals with criminal records, or probationers and parolees. A-men! Offers a three- week job readiness workshop that includes resume writing and job interview skills. Mock job interviews are video taped for use in later discussion groups. When clients have completed the workshop they are placed in jobs. During the workshop and placement period clients receive a stipend of $20 per week and transportation tokens. There is no formal follow-up procedure, however clients return to the program on a regular basis on their own.

Contact:
A-Men!
3111 Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20032
202-562-2636
202-562-5121 fax

Jubilee Jobs provides job preparation and placement services for disadvantaged job-seekers, including those with criminal histories. Once people are employed, Jubilee Jobs provides structured support to help individuals stay focused on job retention and achieving long-term goals.

Contact:
Jubilee Jobs, Inc.
2712 Ontario Road, NW
Washington, DC 20009
202-667-8970
202-667-8833 fax
E-Mail: info@jubileejobs.org