Post-release job search assistance services; DOC, et al., to provide.
Summary
SB877 amends Virginia law governing services provided by the Department of Corrections (DOC) to people leaving incarceration and those under probation and parole supervision. The bill keeps the existing requirement that probation and parole offices make educational, vocational, counseling, substance abuse, rehabilitative, and reentry services available, and adds a new directive for DOC to work with the Department of Workforce Development and Advancement to provide post-release job search assistance services.
The new job-search assistance is intended to help individuals find employment after release and to connect eligible individuals to case management services, subject to available funding. The Department of Workforce Development and Advancement must coordinate delivery of these services with Virginia Workforce System partners, including local workforce development boards, creating a formal partnership between corrections and the state workforce system.
Impact
The bill revises § 53.1-140.1 of the Code of Virginia by expanding the responsibilities of the Department of Corrections to include coordination of post-release employment services. It also assigns a role to the Department of Workforce Development and Advancement in implementing and delivering those services, with local workforce development boards and other workforce partners involved. The practical effect is to strengthen reentry support for formerly incarcerated individuals and potentially increase access to employment, case management, and related workforce resources after release.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It moved through committee and floor votes with unanimous or near-unanimous approval in both chambers, including 15-0 committee reports and final passage by 40-0 in the Senate and 97-0 in the House. The voting history suggests a generally favorable sentiment toward improving reentry and employment outcomes for people leaving incarceration.
Contention
No major substantive opposition is reflected in the available record. The only notable issue implied by the text is that services are to be provided from funds as available, which may limit implementation depending on appropriations and agency capacity. Otherwise, the bill’s focus on reentry, workforce coordination, and job placement appears to have been widely accepted across committees and floor votes.