The New Careers Project

New Careers is a demonstration project of The New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. Its purpose is to help men and women returning to the Newark/Essex County area from state and federal prison to stabilize themselves in their home community, find and keep jobs, and access medical and other needed social services. New Careers seeks to demonstrate a replicable, sustainable approach to facilitating successful reentry into the community and the workforce, and to catalyze reform of state reentry policy and practice.

Since its inception in February 2006, the New Careers’ Project has successfully implemented a program design predicated upon a support-enriched transitional jobs model. This model holds that formerly incarcerated individuals possess strengths and assets that are best catalyzed through a comprehensive service bundle.  The New Careers method combines immediate transitional employment with comprehensive case management, employment readiness and life skills training, job placement, and post-placement retention support. 

The cumulative experience derived from our inaugural year has demonstrated that the Project's support-enriched transitional jobs model works. Participants' job placements and consequent enhanced reentry prospects are a testament to the effectiveness of the New Careers method.  With the benefit of the lessons learned from our first year, the Project is currently making strategic adjustments in two areas:  job development and supplemental services.

Currently, New Careers has a full-time staff of five professionals, including a Director, two Case Managers, an Employment Specialist and a Coordinator for Planning and Community Partnerships.

Key partners in the New Careers Project include First Occupational Center of New Jersey (OCNJ) and Newark Emergency Services for Families with additional active support from the Newark Alliance, New Jersey State Parole Board, New Jersey Department of Corrections, the Essex County and Newark Workforce Investment Boards, Newark Community Health Center, New Community Corporation, Essex County College, Integrity House, and the Bridge to Recovery.

 

For more information about New Careers contact:

Allen James, Project Director
ajames@njisj.org