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Hiring Offenders-What Works-National Institute of Corrections-DC Public Safety Television

April 6, 2012 by

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The topic for the twenty-first television show produced by the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency is “Hiring Offenders-What Works” and is a combined effort of the National Institute of Corrections (USDOJ) and the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency.

The front page of the CSOSA website (http://www.csosa.gov) contains a section on hiring offenders including radio and television programs and information on tax credits and bonding programs. This is an attempt to engage the employment community in a discussion (crowd-sourcing). The offerings were the subject of a variety of media coverage including local and national television, radio, blog and newspaper reports.

Current Television Program:

The current television program focuses on “what works” regarding offender employment from a national and local perspective. The first half contains interviews with two experts from the National Institute of Corrections. The second half includes interviews with a CSOSA employment specialists and an employer who hires former offenders. All guests were asked to articulate specifics that are evidence based and proven successful.

Participants-first segment:

P. Elizabeth Taylor, Correctional Program Specialist, National Institute of Corrections

Constance Parker, Administrator of the Maryland Re-Entry Initiative with the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing & Regulation

Participants-second segment:

Tony Lewis, Employment Specialist, CSOSA

Furard Tate, Owner, Inspire Food Management

DC Public Safety:

Subscribe to “DC Public Safety” through iTunes at

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/dc-public-safety-video/id211867321?ign-mpt=uo%3D4 for video and http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/dc-public-safety-audio/id211598412?ign-mpt=uo%3D4 for audio.

See http://media.csosa.gov for our radio shows, blog and transcripts.

The host is Leonard Sipes. The CSOSA producer is Timothy Barnes. The National Institute of Corrections producer is Donna Ledbetter.

Transcript available at http://media.csosa.gov/podcast/transcripts/.

We welcome your comments or suggestions at

leonard.sipes@csosa.gov or at Twitter at http://twitter.com/lensipes.

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Filed Under: Education and Vocational Assistance, Employment, Interviews with Policy Makers, Interviews with Staff, Reentry, What Works Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Women Offenders – DC Public Safety Television 2011

May 11, 2011 by

Women Offenders – “DC Public Safety”

Welcome to DC Public Safety – radio and television shows on crime, criminal offenders and the criminal justice system.

This program celebrates five years of “DC Public Safety” television.

“Women Offenders” features discussions with a policy maker within the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency and the Director of Our Place D.C. (one of the most comprehensive programs for women offenders in the country). The second half features a CSOSA employee who runs groups for women offenders and a participant currently under CSOSA supervision.

Between 2007 and 2010, the number of women on CSOSA’S daily caseload increased eight percent. Participants have higher rates of involvement in substance abuse, mental health issues and histories of sexual victimization. Approximately 50 percent of female offenders report having been evaluated, diagnosed or treated for mental health issues.

CSOSA is currently reorganizing operations to better supervise and provide programs for female offenders. Teams of Community Supervision Officers (know elsewhere as parole and probation agents) have received gender specific training. Treatment groups for women offenders are expanding. A new day reporting center has been created. Partnerships with groups such as Our Place D.C. have been expanded.

The production attempts to describe the increase of females under CSOSA supervision (and throughout the nation) and the steps employed to address the issue.

CSOSA is also reorganizing agency operations to better supervise high-risk offenders.

Guests for this program:

Participants-first segment:

  • Dr. Debra Kafami, Executive Assistant, Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency
  • Ashley McSwain, MSW, MSOD, Executive Director, Our Place DC

Participants-second segment:

  • Dr. Willa Butler, Group Facilitator, Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency
  • Talynthia Jones, an offender on Dr. Butler’s caseload.

The show is packed with video footage to enhance the viewing experience.

See http://media.csosa.gov for our radio shows, blog and transcripts.

Transcript available at http://media.csosa.gov/podcast/transcripts/

We welcome your comments or suggestions at leonard.sipes@csosa.gov or at Twitter at http://twitter.com/lensipes.

The host is Leonard Sipes. The producer is Timothy Barnes.

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Filed Under: Criminal Justice, Day Reporting, Interviews with Offenders, Interviews with Staff, Parole and Probation, What Works, Women Offenders Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Successful Offenders – “DC Public Safety” Television

January 13, 2011 by

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“Successful Offenders”  is part of the” DC Public Safety” television series.

Please see http://media.csosa.gov for our radio shows. See www.twitter.com/lensipes.

This is the  fifteenth edition of “DC Public Safety” television. The program, entitled “Successful Offenders” features discussions with four offenders currently under the supervision of the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency.

Fifty percent of offenders (per national data) return to prison after three years but 50 percent do not. The production attempts to discover the reasons as to why people under supervision do not return.

Guests for the enclosed program include:

First Segment: Tracy Marlow and India Frazier

Second Segment: Cortez McDaniel and Donald Zimmerman

We welcome your comments and suggestions at leonard.sipes@csosa.gov.

The program is offered by the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency, a federal executive branch entity in Washington, D.C.

The show is hosted by Leonard Sipes. Timothy Barnes is the Producer.

Transcript available at http://media.csosa.gov/podcast/transcripts/2011/01/successful-offenders-dc-public-safety/

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Filed Under: Drug Treatment, Education and Vocational Assistance, Employment, Interviews with Offenders, Reentry, What Works, Women Offenders Tagged With: , , ,