What is the Employment Assistance Program:

A release condition that requires people on supervision to work at a lawful occupation unless excused for school, training, or other acceptable reasons.

How the court uses it

• To make it more likely that people will succeed in supervision because they're gainfully employed.
• To make it less likely that they'll resort to crime to support themselves.

The officer's duties

• Build relationships with agencies and individuals in the community who can help people on supervision find and keep jobs, including:
  – nonprofit organizations
  – local and state employment services
  – chambers of commerce
  – employers
• Direct people on supervision to community resources that prepare them for employment through such services as:
  – skill assessment
  – job training
  – workshops that address resume preparation and job searches
• Verify their job-seeking efforts.
• Verify that they are working by:
  – Visiting them at work.
  – Reviewing their pay stubs.
  – Keeping in touch with their employers.
• Take steps to control and correct the situation if people on supervision:
  – Fail to report to work on time or at all.
  – Lose jobs or change jobs frequently.
  – Maintain a lifestyle beyond their income.
  – Otherwise, they fail to comply with their release conditions.

The officer's challenges

People on supervision face considerable obstacles to employment, which officers must help them overcome. For example, these individuals

• maybe struggling with problems that they need to address before they can work, including
  – substance abuse;
  – poor health; and
  – a lack of the basic needs in life, such as housing and food
• may lack the education or skills to get a job.
• may find employers reluctant to hire them because of their criminal backgrounds and lack of work experience.

What the benefits are

• Provides educational or vocational training that enables people on supervision to earn a living wage.
• It enables them to support themselves and their families.
• It makes it less likely that they'll commit a crime.
• It enables them to pay taxes and any fines and restitution ordered by the court.