P.O.W.E.R. Collaborative Network
Meeting Summary
Wednesday, August 12, 2009“Essential Resources for the Re-entry Population”
The P.O.W.E.R. Collaborative Network (PCN) generated an outstanding grand discussion at its August 2009 meeting. The PCN members are tremendously appreciative to the County of Los Angeles Probation Department and Special Services Group for its effort with coordinating this most informative and topical presentation on re-entry services taking place in the California southland. The special management for this meeting is credited to the fine work of Mr. Erick Cerda, Employment Resources Coordinator, Los Angeles County Probation Department – Day Reporting Center.
The PCN also wishes to express a special appreciation to Ms. Sheila Wiley, Public Relations Manager, Jobing.com for donating refreshments for the meeting. Jobing.com partners with the County of Los Angeles Probation Department on matching job opportunities and client skills.
Dean Jones, CEO, Southland Partnership Corporation, welcomed the one hundred plus attendees for this important and highly relevant discussion on re-entry programs offered by Federal, State, County, and City Law Enforcement Agencies. Never in the history of California has law enforcement had such a progressive approach prevailing resources to fulfill recently released inmates to meet and exceed civil life requirements.
PCN attendees were reminded about the effective business model available to advance the socioeconomic opportunities through an Internet sharing web site; www.ISartOnMonday.com. This is a free community activity announcement web site that works well to assist in human service delivery outreach, in operation with a growing 200,000 unique visitors each month. Anyone wanting to share their socioeconomic opportunities can simply send them via the email and the information will be posted on the web site within one business day. This community service program is part of the non-profit public benefits provided by the Southland Partnership Corporation, [Federal I.D. #91-2167324], which through promotional outreach efforts enhances the PCN member’s ability to extend opportunities to a much broader base of job seekers and employers, in order to better reach and meet the needs of all southern California organizations and businesses. Mr. Jones’ office number is (310) 637-7248, or email POWERSOLA@aol.com.
Erick Cerda, Employment Resources Coordinator, Los Angeles County Probation Department – Day Reporting Center briefly explained how this county department is among the national leaders in the correctional field with over two-thirds of its employees engaged in some professional aspect of probation work such as Deputy Probation Officers, Pretrial Release Investigators, Detention Services Officers or Supervisors. Its work locations include juvenile detention centers, residential treatment facilities and field services offices. The Day Reporting Center (DRC) opened on November 24, 2008 handling males 18-25 years of age, where 90% of all clients are gang affiliated. The DRC works to reduce re-offensive through job readiness, substance abuse counseling, and child support assistance which universally affect a number of the client needs. Special acknowledgment for providing conscientious service in probation was naturally extended to Brad Carson, Employment Resources, Los Angeles County Probation Department – Day Reporting Center, who works closely with the DRC clients and a administers several effective programs showing measurable results with improving the lives of the target population. Mr. Carson can be reached by email at Brad.Carson@probation.lacounty.gov and Mr. Cerda can be reached by email at ERICK.CERDA@probation.lacounty.gov
Jane Alcala, U.S. Probation Officer, Central District of California, United States Probation Office provided a brief overview of the many federal re-entry programs. Ms. Alcala works in the Inglewood Branch of job assistance and criminal records. A most helpful word of advice for re-entry clients is to have them explain their respective conviction during the employer-candidate interview. When doing so keep it short using terms like, the offense was nearly a decade ago; a nonviolent drug offense; I have accepted responsibility for the wrong doing with remorse; I am now prepared with higher skills ready to service the respective business. Ms. Alcala recommends a book that thoroughly examines how to approach employers by recently released persons. The step-by-step guide is entitled From Prison to Paycheck: What No One Evers Tells You About Getting a Job, by Pam Hogan. Another important area is whether or not to check the conviction crime box normally found on job applications. The general rule is to post a message that states see the attachment, which has been previously prepared. This is something Ms. Alcala works with clients to develop a complete statement explaining their particular situation. Ms. Alcala wholeheartedly extends herself as a resource in this arena to all PCN members. Ms. Alcala can be reached by email at jane_alcala@cacp.uscourts.gov
Sergeant Marcos Reynosa and Lieutenant Edward Ramirez represented the Community Transition Unit (CTU), a vital section of the County of Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. The CTU links inmates to housing, mental health, drug rehabilitation, employment, and life skills services to help them transition out of jail and into a stable life style. The CTU also seeks to enhance inmate participation in educational, vocational, and other life skills training programs. The goal is to break the cycle of homelessness and recidivism so that these inmates live productive lives and do not return to jail. The CTU partners with correctional professionals, medical staff, mental health staff and numerous community based, faith based and governmental agencies that receive referrals and facilitate placements for the inmate participants. Sergeant Marcos Reynosa and Lieutenant Edward Ramirez can be reached by emailed at mreynos@lasd.org and ecramire@lasd.org, respectively.
Greg Hicks, Parole Agent, State of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), Parole and Community Team (PACT). The PACT essentially works to protect the community by enabling the parole agents to be an active part of the community’s public safety plans; providing a range of resources and services to offer the opportunity for change; and encouraging and assisting parolees in their effort to positively reintegrate back to society. Ensuring the right assessment of newly released parolees provides PACT case managers the tools to coordinate needed services such as housing, substance abuse, child support management, and education including, but not limited to; automotive mechanic, heating and air-conditioning, pharmacy, and plumbing. The PACT helps the CDCR meet is rehabilitation goals of reducing victimization in California communities, refocusing programs through use of proven practices, and reuniting ex-offenders with a positive job and support system. The CDCR has a Memorandum of Understanding with the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency designed to help place parolees in available jobs. Mr. Hicks can be reached at (323) 586-5505.
Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Sergeants Marlon Marrache and Lloyd Scott presented an exciting program called Honor and Strength, community re-entry and rehabilitation program. It is a multi-agency, multi-disciplinary collaboration model lead by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The City of Los Angeles Mayor’s Office Gang Reduction & Youth Development and the LAPD. Beginning in custody, high risk offenders are screened with the California department of Corrections and Rehabilitations validated assessment tool, thereby working to reduce recidivism through addressing criminogenic needs of employment, training, community and other cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Commander Kyle Jackson supported Sergeants Marrache and Scott by ensuring the PCN members that the LAPD will have in place a community re-entry advisory board including representatives of agencies, service providers, and community based organizations and stakeholders that will meet to discuss the pooling of resources and best practices for the successful implementation of the honor and Strength program. Sergeant Marlon Marrache can be reached at (213) 485-4341, and Sergeant Lloyd Scott can be reached by email at 25511@lapd.lacity.org
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The next PCN meeting is Wednesday, September 9, 2009, 10 AM – Noon, sponsored by El Camino College Compton Center, 1111 E. Artesia Blvd, Compton, CA 90221. Our hosts are the Dean Rodney Murray and Joseph Lewis.
Meeting Attendees for August 2009
Alfreda Johnson, Solid Rock Baptist Church
Andrea Angulo, City of Los Angeles – Youth Opportunity
Andrea Gomez, Volunteers of America
Angelina Garcia, San Gabriel Valley Conservation Corps
Arcelia Sandoval, Personal Involvement Center – Healthy Marriage
Arease Wheeler, Human Potential Consultants
Augustine Blas, Trav-L-World College
Barbara Lynn, Personal Involvement Center - Healthy Marriage
Barbara White
Bettie Pantaleon, People Assisting the Homeless (PATH)
Betty Ariston, Weingart Center Association
Bill Sola, MDR Worksource
Billy Williams, Los Angeles Urban League
Brad Carson, Los Angeles County Department of Probation
Brandi Douglas, Human Potential Consultants
Brenda Mercado, U.S. Pretrial Services
Carolyn Christian Hines, Hines Hospitality Group
Carolyn Lancaster, Human Potential Consultants
Cathy Lee, Realty House II
Cecile Walters, Pacific Gateway Workforce
Cesar Cortes, Los Angeles County Department of Social Services – GAIN Program
Chris Walton, Los Angeles Urban League – West Adams / Baldwin Hills
Christina Luna, San Gabriel Valley Conservation Corps
Commander Kyle Jackson, Los Angeles Police Department
Cristy Rose, Los Angeles College International
Cynthia Davis, Charles Drew University
Danny Oacaca, San Gabriel Valley Conservation Corps
Dean Jones, Southland Partnership Corporation / P.O.W.E.R. Collaborative Network
Deloris Frisby, Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County
Dennis Stovall, Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County
Devona Gardner, U.S. Pretrial Services
Dorian Frank, Department of Veterans Affairs
Edward Ramirez, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
Emma Alleyne, West Angeles, CDC
Erick Cerda, Los Angeles County Department of Probation
Ernest Melendrez, Coalition for Responsible Community Development (CRDC)
Fannie Upshaw, HIS Sheltering Arms
Fay Craton, Loyola Marymount University
Felecia Kelley, Trav-L-World College
Frank Vega, The Midnight Mission
Gail Coyne, East Los Angeles College
Gene Persip, Community Build, Inc.
Gina DeBaca, Innercity Community Network
Gloria Zuurveen, PACE News
Grant Forberg, Huntington Park Parole Office
Greg Hicks, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Imelda Macias, Los Angeles Unified School District, ECC Mid-Wilshire Campus
James Jones, Gangsters In Christ
Janaya Thomas, Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County
Jane Alcala, U.S. Probation Department
Jeannie Sherafation, Los Angeles County Department of Social Services
Jennifer Lynn-Whaley, Berkeley Center for Criminal Justice
Jim Howat, Volunteers of America
Jorge Reyes, City of L.A. Mayor’s Office – Gang Reduction & Youth Development (GRYD)
Joseph Lewis, El Camino College Compton Center
Joy Tsuhako, Social Security Administration
Judy Jenkins, People Assisting the Homeless (PATH)
Julie Friedman, Family Matters @ Work
Karen Downard, West Angeles, CDC
Karen Robinson, Allstate Workplace
Keith Parker, Community Build
Kenneth Braswell, ACN
Kenneth Guertin, Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County
Kim Clayborn, Soulwork Counseling
Kimberly Hendrix, Volunteers of America
Lakeya Johnson, Soledad Enrichment Action - Gang Reduction & Youth Development (GRYD)
Lara Ostapiej, AmeriCorps Volunteer
Laron Hogg Haugiat, Berkeley Center for Criminal Justice
Laurie Collister, The Midnight Mission
LaVonté Jackson, Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County
Lemuel Edmowason, Volunteers of America
Linda Oliver, Los Angeles County Department of Social Services – GROW
Lisa Benjamin, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Lisa Fitch, PV Jobs,
Liza Anulao, Downtown Women’s Center
Luis Barrera, Para Los Niños
Luis Reyes, Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services (Expungement)
Lunida Carter, Los Angeles County Department of Children Family Services
Marcia Reddy, Volunteers of America
Mark Reynosa, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
Martin Telles, San Gabriel Valley Conservation Corps
Maurice, Barnett, United Job Creation Council
Michael Brown, Trinity Three Company, LLC.
Monica Pecot, Community Career Development
Nathaniel Perkins-Ali, N.A.B.S.I.O.
Norma Coronado, Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE)
Officer Cleon Joseph, Los Angeles Police Department
Officer Kirk Madison, Los Angeles Police Department
Pat Atitebi, Lutheran Social Services Community Care Center
Pedro Briones, US Veteran’s Affairs
Phyllis Wilcher, Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services
Portia Smith, California Employment Development Department
Queen Kelli, Prepaid Legal Services
Rich Belk, CEP – Operation Inspiration
Rick Stoff, Chrysalis
Robbie Odom, Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services – ILP
Ronnie Bostone, Quantum Re-entry
Sergeant Lloyd Scott, Los Angeles Police Department
Sergeant Marlon Marrache, Los Angeles Police Department
Sharie Davy, Friends Outside
Sheila Clark, Computer Empowerment Project
Sheila Wiley, Jobing.com
Stephanie Saver, Community Career Development (CCD)
Susan Quigley, City of Los Angeles Workforce Development
Tramel Jones, A.P.U.U.
Trelawney McLaurin, Computer Empowerment Project
Wain Pruitt, King Size Ideas
William Quintana, Charles Drew University
Zach Jenkins, Youth Development SA
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PCN started in January 2001, focused on job coordination for community residents in order to assist in public & private sector work placement. The PCN members are community builders serving to identify, nurture, & mobilize local assets by enhanced networking to rejuvenate economies, strengthen business investments, & ultimately build up civil society. The PCN meets monthly sharing job recruitment, funding, training, workforce projects, & other related topics at various member locations.
P.O.W.E.R. - Promoting Opportunities With Essential Resources