By Valeria Renée Rivera, Public Relations Intern, Goodwill Industries International
The Caddo Parish District Attorney’s (DA’s) office has partnered with Goodwill Industries of North Louisiana (Shreveport) to help young adults with a history of criminal misconduct who want to turn their lives around.
The LifeLaunch reentry program is meant to help low-income young adults who are part of the DA’s pre-trail diversion program. Individuals who become involved with the criminal justice system for the first time will be given the chance to succeed through 18 months of counseling, restitution and community service.
The only requirements to be eligible for this program is for youth to be between 18 and 24 years of age, come from a low-income area, and have experienced involvement in the justice system.
The DA’s office at Caddo Parish has 50 openings for the program. Other locations may have more or none left. Regardless, the DA’s office will offer participants the opportunity to earn the equivalent of a high school diploma (HiSet), post-secondary education, on-the-job skill training, job readiness, life-skill training, and job-placement assistance. In addition, participants are able to acquire clothing, bus passes, rental deposits, identification records, and emergency assistance.
Caddo Parish is one of five distinct locations involved with the LifeLaunch reentry program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor. Additional participating Goodwill organizations include:
- Goodwill Easter Seals Miami Valley (Dayton, OH)
- Goodwill Industries of Houston (TX)
- Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois and Wisconsin Stateline Area
- Goodwill Industries of Orange County (CA)
The below organizations offer similar versions of the LifeLaunch reentry program:
- Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota (Saint Paul)
- Goodwill Industries of Central Texas (Austin)
- Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit (MI)
- Goodwill Industries of Kentucky (Louisville)
- Goodwill Industries of Southern Arizona (Tucson)
- Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake (Baltimore, MD)
- Goodwill Industries of the Valleys (Roanoke, VA)
- Goodwill Industries of West Michigan (Muskegon)
- Goodwill of Central and Southern Indiana (Indianapolis)
- Goodwill of North Georgia (Atlanta)
- Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh)
About the grant:
The Goodwill® Adult LifeLaunch Reintegration Program is made possible with a grant award of $4.5 million, covering 74 percent of costs, from the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration. Twenty-six percent of the Goodwill Adult LifeLaunch Reintegration Program activities and services will be supported with $1.6 million in leveraged resources.
The Goodwill® Reentry Opportunities to Work (GROW) program is made possible with a grant award of $4.5 million, covering 92 percent of costs, from the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration. Eight percent of GROW program activities and services will be supported with $373,275 in leveraged resources.
The Goodwill® Young Adult LifeLaunch 2.0 Reentry Program is made possible with a $4.5 million grant award, covering 88 percent of operating costs, from the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration. Goodwill is contributing leveraged funding valued at $597,241 to cover the remaining 12 percent of operational costs.
The Goodwill® LifeLaunch: Ignite Reentry Program is made possible with a $4.5 million grant award, covering 93 percent of operating costs, from the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration. Goodwill is contributing leveraged funding valued at $324,762 to cover the remaining seven percent of operational costs.
