Operation New Hope presents Ready for Work reentry services, highlights housing and vocational needs in Tampa Bay

Natasha Goodley, regional director for Operation New Hope, told the Hillsborough County Public Safety Coordinating Council on Jan. 17 that the nonprofit’s Ready for Work and Ready for Release programs provide case management, mental health counseling, job training and transitional housing to formerly incarcerated people and that the organization has recently expanded into Tampa and St. Petersburg.

Goodley said the group received a legislative appropriation to expand beyond Jacksonville and that Operation New Hope now delivers pre-release services in prisons and job-readiness training after release. She told the council the organization provides three months of transitional housing and three months of bus passes, weekly stipends during training, career and technical education supports and connections to employers.

Goodley cited several data points during the presentation: she said about 1 in 3 U.S. adults of working age have a criminal record and that roughly 700,000 people return from jail or prison each year. She said Department of Corrections data show about 1,500 returning citizens are released to Hillsborough County annually and that Operation New Hope’s recidivism rate for a comparable cohort is 8.64 percent versus a Florida Department of Corrections recidivism rate of 25.7 percent. She also said Operation New Hope began Tampa Bay operations in late July 2024 and has served about 120 clients in Tampa and 90 in St. Petersburg since opening.

Goodley described program logistics: clients complete intake, a three-week training that includes computer classes and career development, and then attend a weekly “completers” session if not yet employed. Clients are drug-free participants and are paired with a case manager, mental health counselor and job coach. Goodley said the program aims for placements that provide a living wage; she said the median wage for placements in Tampa–St. Pete is about $18.34 per hour and the program maintains contact with clients for a year after placement.

Council members asked how the program coordinates with existing local providers. Goodley said Operation New Hope accepts most charges except “registered offenders” (the transcript redacted the specific registration category) and that each case is reviewed; the program will staff out higher-risk or habitual violent cases before acceptance. Goodley said the organization partners with more than 20 transitional housing providers rather than running its own housing stock and that staff perform visits and vet housing partners.

During public questions Yvette Lewis and others raised concerns about the quality and safety of some transitional housing in the county. Goodley said the organization inspects homes, takes photos, conducts random checks and holds housing providers to standards; she offered to provide addresses and allow visits to verify conditions. Council members also discussed vocational training provided in the jail and how certifications earned in custody (for example welding or automotive) are converted into employment; Goodley said Operation New Hope will help with work accessories (safety boots, uniforms) and coordinate further training and employer connections.

Goodley and council members identified commercial driver’s license (CDL) training as a major unmet need; Goodley said program costs and licensing create barriers and that she is working with Hillsborough Community College to explore options and use of fee exemptions. Robert Lump of Abound Ministries, who spoke during public comment, clarified that his organization was the original local Ready for Work grantee and that Abraham/A. Brown Ministries retains its own state line-item funding; he said his program served more than 200 clients in the last two years.

Goodley provided contact information and asked justice partners to refer eligible clients and to help the program link to jail-based vocational curricula.