North Carolina broadens employment initiative for people preparing to leave prison
RALEIGH, NC (WWAY) — A North Carolina program designed to help incarcerated people prepare for employment before their release has expanded to 22 state correctional facilities, according to state officials.
The NC Jobs Exploration in Transition, or NCJET, program is now available to nearly 700 incarcerated men and women across the state after beginning as a pilot program just over a year ago at the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women.
The online system is intended for people who are within about six months of completing their prison sentences. It allows participants to create résumés, explore career options and search for potential job opportunities with assistance from correctional staff.
The program also includes listings from employers that identify themselves as willing to hire formerly incarcerated individuals.
Once participants are released, their NCJET accounts transfer to NCWorks Online, the state’s workforce development platform operated by the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Division of Workforce Solutions. After release, users gain full access to the site’s job search and application tools.
State officials say the goal is to help individuals begin their job search before leaving prison and improve their chances of finding employment shortly after release.
The North Carolina Department of Adult Correction and the Department of Commerce plan to continue expanding the program, with the long-term goal of placing computers or kiosks in every state prison.
According to the Department of Adult Correction, about 96% of people incarcerated in North Carolina eventually return to their communities.
NCDAC Secretary Leslie Dismukes said the program allows incarcerated people to prepare for employment before their release.
“When people are released from our custody, they need employment and the means to find those jobs,” Dismukes said in a news release.
Officials from both departments visited the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women on June 30 to observe the program and meet with participants.
