The U.S. Department of Labor Awards $50 Million in Pathway Home Grants
The U.S. Department of Labor awarded 18 organizations in 14 states $50,643,113.00 in Pathway Home grants. Pathway Home funds from the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) of the U.S. Department of Labor give states, local governments, and non-governmental organizations the funding they need to enhance adult inmates’ employability outcomes as they transition out of prison.
“Leaders across all industries recognize that providing incarcerated people with quality job training creates opportunities for them to reunite with their families, enter the workforce and attain stable, quality employment upon release,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh.
Through the provision of training and job services, organizations will be able to assist individuals who are incarcerated and have a release date that is 20 to 270 days or less from the time they sign up for the project. Additionally, they aim to enhance communication amongst key partners in the reintegration process, including local health and human service providers, employers, unions, community and state correctional organizations, and jails.
20 recipients received $64 million from ETA in 2020, and 22 grant recipients received an extra $61 million in June 2021.
“The intention behind job training is to help people be trained and skilled in a career that they would earn a good wage. And I think that companies in America today shouldn’t be undercutting each other for a race to the bottom,” Walsh, former Mayor of Boston, said recently. “What they should be doing is continuing to increase salaries and opportunities, whether it’s better productivity, better opportunity, and growth of their own company.”
