Authors: Claire Kaplan and Len Engel
A Workforce and Public Safety Imperative
2007
The Crime and Justice Institute and the Boston Foundation convened a Task Force in June 2006, consisting of 14 leaders from the nonprofit, law enforcement, academic and business communities to kindle discussion and debate the barriers to employment for individuals with criminal records. Co-chaired by Betsy Pattullo, President and CEO of Beacon Health Strategies and Bob Gittens, Vice President of Public Affairs at Northeastern University, the task force went well beyond its original objective to identify opportunities that increase access to employment in the health and human service field for low-risk, qualified applicants with CORI, while continuing to protect vulnerable populations. This report makes a series of recommendations designed to improve criminal justice outcomes for the benefit of ex-offenders, communities, employers and to expand the skilled workforce in the Commonwealth.
The report was presented on May 10, 2007, at a Forum sponsored by the Boston Foundation and the Crime and Justice Institute and featured comments by the Secretary of Public Safety, a labor economist from Northeastern University and a panel of key stakeholders and policy makers before and audience of more than 200.
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