What does OWD mean in DEVELOPMENT

Offender Workforce Development (OWD) is a strategy focused on helping individuals within the criminal justice system increase their employable skillset and develop job-relevant characteristics and experiences. The goal of OWD is to reduce recidivism rates by providing offenders with education, career and employment readiness skills, job placement services, mentorship, and supportive service links.

Implementing OWD programs can provide several benefits to offenders, communities, employers, and the criminal justice system. Reduced imprisonment costs due to decreased crime rates; increased employment opportunities; improved employability; improved public safety; reduced strain on families; and reduced stress on resources at correctional facilities are all potential outcomes of successful offender workforce development initiatives.

By harnessing local resources available through career centers and similar entities, organizations have access to pre-screened candidates that may have been otherwise overlooked or who have been out of work for an extended period of time. This allows employers to expand their talent pool while assisting in the rehabilitation process for formerly incarcerated individuals. In addition, many employers are able to access funding from state governments or other private sources as incentives for hiring from this population group.

Even though there are numerous potential benefits associated with developing a successful offender workforce development program, there are several key challenges which may prevent its full implementation or success. These challenges include limited funding or government resources; inadequate data collection systems or lack of evidence-based practices; cultural norms which perpetuate stigma around hiring ex-offenders; lack of employer understanding or acceptance around working with formerly incarcerated persons; and other systemic barriers within the criminal justice system itself.