The R.I.S.E. and Fall of Serious Reentry in Philadelphia
By Thomas Ford
July 20, 2013
July 20, 2013
The rescheduling of Philadelphia's Job Fair for Ex-Offenders is now being billed as an "Ex-Offender Expo" hosted by RISE (Philadelphia Mayors of Reintegration Services for Ex-Offenders). Returning Citizens seeking employment, mark your calendar for Tuesday, July 30, 2013 @8:30am. The event will take place at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Enter on Broad Street, Broad St & Race St, Philadelphia PA 19107...
YOU MUST PRE-REGISTER TO ATTEND THIS FUNCTION
The City of Philadelphia shut down a career fair for ex-offenders on May 17, 2013 after close to 5,000 returning citizens showed up dressed to impress résumés in hand... Eyewitness accounts back in May reported, "It was a madhouse, unorganized, just mass confusion," an attendee said. "There was no organization... we got by the door and that was when they said 'we're shutting it down,'" another attendee told NBC10 Philadelphia.
As reported in the Returning Citizens Manifesto blog on June 28, 2013, RISE was planning to shift the focus from jobs to "opportunities” according to Mr. Hart, the Director of RISE. This shift from jobs has translated into literacy and education, legal services, interview preparation, explaining your criminal record and expungement/pardons.
“It’s going to be an employer informational, resource and expungement clinic,” Mr. Hart told CBS reporter Cherri Gregg. “We’re going to also have the Mayor’s Commission on Literacy, we’re going to have probation and parole, [and] we’re going to have Community Legal Services” says Hart.
This is truly a travesty because the majority of folks that will be on hand later this month are JOB READY and they do not need or want to be preyed upon by self-serving reentry bandits. A large number of returning citizens have already participated in a myriad of job readiness or re-training programs; they already have a high school diploma/GED and many have post-secondary degrees. By the way, wouldn’t it be better for folks to be employed BEFORE they seek relief from the state in terms of expungements or pardons? Just saying...
RISE writes on their site that up to 100 employers will be on hand at this expo. According to Mr. Hart back in May, the previous event had less than 10 employers on hand. So, we are to believe, RISE miraculously located 90 additional employers willing to hire folks with a criminal history; the “up to 100” leaves a lot of fudge room. We will remain cautiously optimistic about what this forum will look like on the 30th of July. We hope the pressure EXIT-US has applied to RISE in previous postings will produce some successful outcomes for our constituency...
Read below for the official details from RISE...http://expo.phila.gov/
PHILADELPHIA EX-OFFENDER EXPO!!!!
click here for PRE-REGISTRATION IS MANDATORY!!!
DATE: Tuesday, July 30, 2013
TIME: 8:30 AM - 3:00 PM
LOCATION: Pennsylvania Convention Center
Enter on Broad Street, Broad St & Race St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
DESCRIPTION
The Mayor’s Office of Re-Integration Services for Ex-Offenders (R.I.S.E.) is hosting the Ex-Offender Expo on July 30, 2013.
The Expo will feature more than 100 service providers and up to 100 employers, as well as workshops and resources, to help returning citizens search for employment, prepare for interviews, and develop the skills necessary to be successful on the pathway to self-sufficiency.
IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF SERVICE TO ALL ATTENDEES, INDIVIDUALS WHO DO NOT REGISTER WILL NOT BE ADMITTED TO THE EXPO.
SCHEDULE
•8:30am: Doors Open
•8:30am - 10:00am: Sign-in
•10:00am - 10:30am: Keynote Delivered by Everett Gillison, Mayor's Chief of Staff and Councilman Curtis Jones, Chairman of the Public Safety Committee
•3:00pm: Event Ends
WORKSHOPS
Literacy and Education Workshop
In today’s economy, education is the key to employment. As technology progresses, changes in GED testing are fast approaching. With our interactive workshop, people who want to advance their careers or find employment can find all of the information necessary for classes and testing from various providers across Philadelphia.
Legal Services Workshop
This workshop will provide a general discussion of legal issues ranging from court costs to child support, and is designed to help returning citizens navigate their way through the often-complex legal system. Angus Love, an attorney who specializes in ex-offender issues, will be among the panelists.
Interview Preparation Workshop
A great interview is one of the most important steps to finding employment. This workshop will feature a mock-interview process with top HR professionals and career services experts.
Explaining Your Criminal Record/Ban the Box Workshop
Explaining a criminal history to potential employers can often be difficult and unnerving. The ‘Ban the Box’ Legislation, which makes this easier, will be explained by Rue Landau from the City’s Commission on Human Relations. There will also be a focus on finding the best ways to tell employers about this history.
Expungement/Pardon Workshop
In Pennsylvania, each arrest creates a publicly available record that can be sold and shared regardless of the arrest’s final disposition, including arrests not leading to conviction, acquittals, or not guilty verdicts. Featuring the ‘Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity’ (PLSE) and Wayne Jacobs of ‘Ex-Offenders for Community Empowerment,’ the workshop will explain ways to explore record expungement and the Pennsylvania pardon process.
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