City reports early results from returning-citizen employment pilot; 164 hires so far

City staff on Jan. 9 reported initial outcomes from a returning-citizens employment pilot run with 8 Brown Ministries: 253 people were enrolled, 207 completed a six-week professional-development course and 164 had been placed in jobs at the time of the meeting.

Nut graf: The city presented the program as a workforce and recidivism-reduction initiative; staff and councilmembers said the results are promising and discussed steps to institutionalize and scale the work, including the potential creation of a permanent Office of Returning Citizens.

Body: Brenda McKenzie, director of workforce partnerships, said 253 individuals enrolled in the program and 207 completed the mandatory six-week professional development curriculum; staff reported 164 placements to date, noting that the program year is 12 months and many participants remain active in services and placement work.

Council members praised the effort and discussed expanding the program's scope and sustainability. Council Member Dier urged creation of a permanent office of returning citizens within economic development to coordinate services, employer partnerships and long-term funding. Chief of Staff John Bennett and other staff said the administration will continue coordinating partners and exploring next steps.

Quotes: "The fact that they've been able to place 79% of the individuals before the end of the 12-month period is pretty impressive," Brenda McKenzie said.

Ending: Council members voiced support for continued investment and asked staff to explore options to make the program permanent and coordinated across city and county partners.