The Board of Commissioners received an update from Blue Jacket, Inc, a social enterprise spun off from Allen County Community Corrections.

2. The Writing on the wall
 Employment decreases recidivism by an
average 40%
 “Ex-offenders with jobs commit fewer crimes
than those without jobs, and those with
higher earnings commit fewer crimes than
those with lower earnings.”
- Maria Buck, Fall 2000

3. Education:
 Recidivism rates reduce by 54% when
comparing someone with no diploma/GED
to a Bachelors Degree. See chart
The Writing on the wall

4. What is Blue Jacket?
 “Mission is to provide the tools and
opportunities to adult ex-offenders to be
productive members of society.”
 501c3 nonprofit agency spun out of
County Government (ReEntry Court)
 Core services in workforce development
©2008 Blue Jacket, Inc.

5. What is Blue Jacket?
It was created to:
 Be entrepreneurial in fund raising
Social Enterprise
 Host Transitional Jobs
 Fill a gap in workforce development
 Reduce Crime
©2008 Blue Jacket, Inc.

6. What is Blue Jacket?
It was created to:
 Provide a positive, social network
 Confront apathy & hopelessness
 Increase education
 Provide conduit for healthier lives
©2008 Blue Jacket, Inc.

7. Job-Readiness Training
Matching and Placement
Social Enterprise
Transitional Jobs
Who Blue Jacket Modeled

8. Transitional jobs programs place participants in short term,
publicly subsidized jobs that combine real work, skill development,
and support services to help participants overcome barriers to
employment. – Center for Law and Social Policy
•Lower Skilled
•Publicly Subsidized Jobs
•TANF & Welfare Recipients
•Temporary Personnel Agency
What are Transitional Jobs?

9. A social enterprise is a business with primarily social objectives
whose surpluses are reinvested for that purpose in the business or
in the community, rather than being driven by the need to deliver
profit to shareholders and owners. – Social Enterprise Coalition
Nationwide Movement
Social Enterprises Provide:
-Program autonomy / self-sufficiency
-Transitional or permanent employment
-Supervision and oversight from qualified staff for
very low skilled
-Job Creation
What is a Social Enterprise?

10. What is Blue Jacket?
 Clients Served:
2006: 84 2007: 196 2008: 455 2009: 350
 PRELIMINARY Recidivism
(re-arrest or re-incarceration through
technical violation within 1 year)
2006: 36.1% 2007: 21.4% 2008 18.1%
©2008 Blue Jacket, Inc.

11. What is Blue Jacket?
 10 employees
 16 board members
©2008 Blue Jacket, Inc.

12. History
(what we’ve learned)
 Avoid Mission Drift
 Don’t grow too quickly
 Provide Job Retention services
 Get clients connected – networked with
positive people
©2008 Blue Jacket, Inc.

13. What We Do Well
 The Career Academy – 60 hours
30-hour Job Search Training
30-hour Career Development/Transition
©2008 Blue Jacket, Inc.

14. Income: Past 5 Years

15. 2006 2007 2008 2009
YTD
2010
Referrals (Mainly ACCC) 84 - - 425 329
Walk-ins - - - 249 215
Graduates of the Career
Academy 84 196 455 350 260
Vocational Training
Recipients - 35 12 - 30
Job Starts 142 136
Recidivism 36% 21% 18% 24% -
©2008 Blue Jacket, Inc.

16. What We Do Well
 Core Philosophies carried out:
Trust takes time and effort
A second chance must be earned, not given
without any expectations
Be Accountable
Give back – make your wrongs right again
Soft Skills are everything
Self-selection and buy-in
Dynamic and engaging – every skill level
©2008 Blue Jacket, Inc.

17. What We Do Well
 Model
 Provide Tools and Opportunities
 Kinesthetic – Practicing
Interviewing
Network
Prepared with pitch
Resume writing, applications
Look the part
You do the work!
©2008 Blue Jacket, Inc.

18. Goals for 6 week training
TO INCREASE:
1. Rapid attachment to employment
2. Job Retention
3. Pride in client – Credibility in Community
4. Support Network
©2008 Blue Jacket, Inc.

19. Blue Jacket Goals:
 Be a model for other counties
Replicable – or franchise
 Launch Micro social enterprises
 Lower recidivism to 12% in
graduates
 Serve 1,200 per year around
Allen County.

20. Ways to get people involved
 Donate professional apparel
 Become a life coach
 Speak about your career or vocation
 Mock Interview
 Contribute into the scholarship bank
 Donate items to be auctioned