Work and Education after Incarceration

Robby

Most Hoosiers have only a passing understanding of the criminal justice system. But statewide, tens of thousands of Indiana residents spend every night in a cell. What happens after they are released? What are their job and work prospects like?

If you or someone you care about needs resources, one place to start is with the Indiana Department of Corrections website. They have a section for Offender Vocational Re-Entry Resources, and that includes a list of places that will hire people with a criminal record. There are also other great resources online such as Jobs For Felons Hub as well as the Indianapolis section of felonopportunities.com.

© Flickr User Jobs For Felons Hub (www.JobsForFelonsHub.com)

But even if someone who was formerly incarcerated finds a job, that doesn’t mean they don’t want more for themselves and their family. The website Affordable Colleges Online offers an extensive online resource for attending college after prison.

There’s more to this topic than we can begin to cover in a brief blog post. But if there’s one piece of advice: don’t get discouraged. There are amazingly successful people who spent time behind bars. And there are also plenty more everyday individuals for whom prison was part of their story, but doesn’t define their life.