25E - AGMT FOR WORKFORCE READINESS

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EXHIBIT C emphasizes physical, psychological, and emotional safety that creates an environment where participants rebuild a sense of control and empowerment. Statement of Need Formerly incarcerated young adults face multiple challenges upon release, from locating appropriate and stable housing, reuniting with their families, obtaining gainful employment, and receiving services for substance abuse, physical and mental health issues to meeting their more basic, elemental needs for clothing, food, and identification. Formerly incarcerated individuals are more likely to have issues with mental and physical illness, low educational attainment, poor work histories, and higher rates of substance abuse than the general population'. The greater these barriers, the greater the likelihood that the individual will continue to commit a crime and further burden an already overburdened criminal justice system that must allocate scarce resources for returning recidivists. 2. Population Served The program will serve one hundred and five participants throughout Orange County. Project Kinship serves high -risk, hard -to -reach populations with histories of gang - involvement, substance abuse, homelessness, juvenile court involvement, individuals released from local county jails and state and federal prison and/or school failure, with the goal of preventing, intervening, and addressing the barriers that lead to these destructive cycles. The Santa AnaPolice Department reports 3,194 documented gangmembers in the city, athird of which are in the 18-28-year-old age range, many of which will walk through Project Kinship's program doors. This target population has often experienced the devastating impacts of trauma, violence, family disruption, andhighrecidivism rates. Such challenges I `Process and Systems Change Evaluation Findings from the Transition from Jail to Community Initiative" Urban Institute and HIC Final Report, September 2012 25E-57