mh/power.pr         97-319              Contact:  Eric Seleznow, 301-468-4200

COUNTY HOLDS EMPLOYMENT
WORKSHOP FOR OFFENDERS;
AREA BUSINESSES PARTICIPATE        For Immediate Release: October 17, 1997


     More than 15 local business executives volunteered their time and expertise today to
help train 20 incarcerated offenders at Montgomery County's Pre-Release Center for job
opportunities.  The criminal offenders, who are preparing for a life outside of the correctional
facility, participated in a new program called the POWERSkills (Providing Offenders with
Employment Readiness Skills) workshop, where employers conduct mock job interviews to
help the offenders obtain employment upon release.
     Businesses participating in today's workshop were welcomed by Montgomery County
Executive Douglas M. Duncan, County Councilmember Betty Ann Krahnke, John Dillion,
chairman of the Montgomery County Workforce Development Corporation, and officials with
the Department of Correction and Rehabilitation.  Marilyn Moses, social services program
analyst with the National Institute of Justice, gave participants a national overview of similar
programs.  To date, programs such as POWERSkills have been conducted at several Federal
Bureau of Prisons facilities and in state correctional facilities in Texas, South Carolina, Ohio
and Baltimore, Maryland.
     "We are committed to releasing offenders from our correctional institutions who are
prepared for the workplace and who have the basic skills, abilities and work ethic for which 
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OFFENDERS PARTICIPATE IN JOB TRAINING WORKSHOP         2-2-2-2

employers are looking," said Duncan.  "Offenders need an opportunity to succeed.   Our job  
is to give them the knowledge and experience to do so, so they can become contributing 
members of our community."    
     The workshop, which is endorsed by the National Institute of Justice, is similar to a
job fair in which employers meet one-on-one with offenders to assess their ability in handling
job interviews.  Each employer is asked to conduct five, 30-minute interviews, and to give
offenders feedback on their overall presentation, including strengths and areas in which they
need to improve.
     According to the National Institute of Justice officials, the workshops are effective in
preparing offenders to return to the community and in opening up job opportunities for them
upon release.
     "Everybody hopes that someone who has committed a crime will serve their sentence
and become responsible citizens," said Krahnke.  "We thank those businesses who are willing
to get involved with this valuable program and make a difference.  By offering training and
employment, these companies not only help people get a fresh start, they help make our
community a safer place."
     Area businesses participating in today's program included, Aspen Systems Corporation
(Rockville), Atlantic Valet (Washington, D.C.), Barbara Maudes Bakery and Cafe (Rockville),
Career Blazers (Washington, D.C.), Century Technologies (Silver Spring), Century Pool
Management (Rockville), Federal Bureau of Prisons (Washington, D.C.), Giant Food 
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OFFENDERS PARTICIPATE IN JOB TRAINING WORKSHOP         3-3-3-3

(Landover, MD), Office Depot (Rockville), MRI Sales Consultants (Rockville), Marriott
Hotels (Bethesda), Montgomery College (Rockville), Ryder/MLS Corporation (Silver Spring),
Social and Scientific Systems, Inc. (Bethesda), Standard Supply (Gaithersburg), Workforce
Development Corporation (Rockville), and People Community Baptist Church (Silver Spring).
     The Montgomery County Pre-Release Center, located in Rockville, is a residential
correctional and treatment facility for low-risk offenders who await release, after serving time
for various criminal offenses.  At the center, offenders are provided with job skills, substance
abuse treatment and support services designed to help them gain employment and to reduce
the likelihood of future criminal activity.  All offenders pay taxes and room/board while they
participate in the program.      # # # 
   

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