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The Prodigal Project is MPVCT's newest initiative, designed to bring together Connecticut's employers and a pool of loyal and hardworking employees, those newly released from our state's prisons. Ex-offenders have the opportunity to make a new start through meaningful employment, with the assistance of the social service agencies STRIDE, STRIVE, and Family Re-Entry. |
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Currently, there are over 20,000 individuals released from Connecticut's prisons every year, with a recidivism rate of nearly 40%. Participation in a re-entry program can reduce that rate. For example, preliminary research conducted by Yale University shows that Family Entry's Fresh Start graduates have a 6% recividism rate with an 86% employment rate, as opposed to 20-50% employment nationally. STRIDE program graduates can boast of similar success. |
THE PRODIGAL PROJECT TARGETS, CRITICAL COMPONENTS AND BASE CASE RATIONALES
Target Beneficiaries: Ex-Offenders who are supported by DOC Department of Parole and the social service agencies STRIDE; STRIVE (Ct Works) or Family ReEntry. (A key element of these agencies is that they work with ex-offenders before, during and after their release from prison).
Employers who receive tax benefits, highly loyal employees and a better safer community in which to function and flourish.
Target Objective: To add willing employers to the existing lists of employers currently enlisted by each of the collaborative agencies and to provide them with loyal, grateful employees.
Mission Critical Components:
- To enlist and train members of the Order of Malta to facilitate employment opportunities and/or speak about and advocate the Prodigal Project.
- To develop and circulate materials that will support those willing members of the Order
- To coordinate with DOC, DOL and all other applicable agencies to develop the statistical data that can reliably measure the progress achieved by the Prodigal Project
In order to present these concepts to the public we must first build a “base case” as to why someone would want to be an advocate for this concept. Accordingly, find below proposed base case components for our first two and most important constituencies: members of the Order of Malta and employers.
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Why should members of the Order of Malta engage in the Prodigal Project?
SPIRITUALLY
- This is also a powerful and unique opportunity to proclaim , deliver and live a truly prophetic message to a needy world.
- The Gospel directs us to do so – see Matthew 25:31.
- This is our opportunity to proclaim that Gospel message. We can and will energize our faith community by this living of the Gospel message – we become actual witnesses to our faith by engaging in this mission.
- It builds a bridge of understanding and caring between ex-offenders and our faith communities who tend to be unconnected to those brothers and sisters of ours in Christ whom we would likely not otherwise come to know and understand.
FOR THE ORDER OF MALTA
- It has been designated our National Work of the Order.
- It is done on behalf our Lords , the Sick and the Poor, and by its very nature it defends our faith as a living testimony to the Christian message.
- It is an opportunity to position the Order as a relevant, pro-active, productive religious organization.
- It will attract new members to the Order by the nature of its meaningful social service activity.
- It enhances Malta member connectivity across our communities , region and nation.
- It is a unique opportunity for our Order to take a leadership role in addressing this major national social problem.
FOR OUR COMMUNITIES
- It addresses a truly difficult social ill of our nation in a productive way – it is relevant social service work.
- Members can work on this at home , at work, in our community , in our churches , in other community organizations.
- It is helpful to our communities in many ways such as the reduction of crime, support to the families of ex-offenders and reduction in the cost of social service support to ex-offenders who are re-incarcerated.
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Why should an employer become engaged in the Prodigal Project?
- Enlightened self interest.
- A generous tax credit is available to employers who hire ex-offenders.
- Free bonding is also available to participating employers.
- The Prodigal Project helps to change $33,000 per year wards of the state into $1000 per year taxpayers of the state.
- Additionally , state costs for the support of children is reduced when ex-offenders become responsible parents for their children.
- Crime is reduced in our community.
- The employer will be dealing with people who are serious about making a change in their life by the nature of their participation in STRIDE,STRIVE and Family ReEntry programs.
- The employees will receive on-going monitoring on their steady progress.
- The employers will get feedback on the specific as well as the general progress of the program.
- The ex-offenders will tend to be more loyal employees Participation in the program will mark the participating employer as a good corporate citizen.
- The program is supported by DOC,DOL and three well established and successful social service agencies.
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Suggested Activities of Prodigal Project Advocates
If you are an employer:
- Consider an ex-offender for a job opportunity in your firm.
- If you have successfully employed an ex-offender , urge fellow employers to do the same.
- Set up an opportunity for Malta Prison Volunteers to speak to your industry trade association or business persons group.
If you are not a direct employer:
- Ask a merchant that you know or with whom you trade to listen to our story; review our video; consider giving an ex-offender a job opportunity.
- Ask your local town officials to do the same.
- Set up a meeting at your parish/faith community to inform them of this opportunity and invite them to participate.
- Set up a meeting at your local community group such as Rotary, Kiwanis or business association to inform them of this opportunity.
- Set up a meeting with your industry or professional association to inform and invite them to participate.
- Write , call or see your state representative or senator to be aware of re-entry opportunities for our communities and urge them to support funding and legislation to take advantage of them.
- Distribute our literature, give out our video or direct people to our website to become aware of this opportunity to put our Catholic faith and the Golden Rule into practice.