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* The mission of the twenty-five year old Safer Foundation is to reduce recidivism by supporting the efforts of former offenders to become productive, law abiding members of the community by providing a full spectrum of services, including education, employment and case-management.
* Safer provides employment services geared to making successful job placements. To Safer that means a client remains employed for at least thirty days. After thirty days, a Safer "lifeguard" remains in contact with the client for a year to support the critical transitions to work and other areas of his or her life. To date, Safer has placed over 40, 000 ex-offenders in jobs.
* Safer offers several education programs in different locations. The Youth Empowerment Program (YEP) is a peer learning model that is open to 16-21 years olds and is designed to prepare students to continue their education after Safer. The Crossroads Community Correctional Center offers a similar peer learning model for its residents. The PACE Institute provides pretrial detainees and sentenced inmates in Chicago's Cook County Jail with basic education and life skills.
* Of the 320 students who participated in the Youth Empowerment Program in the last four years, 81% completed the training. Their academic progress increased 12.52 % from pre to post GED readiness. Of these students, 96 % registered for the GED and 56 students obtained it.
* Just under 200 (76%) of the students who completed YEP training were placed either in vocational training or jobs, with 95% achieving at least 30-days retention in their placements. An additional 6% went on to pursue higher education goals.
* Safer's three year recidivism rate for the Youth Empowerment Program is 21.4%, which is less than one-half the Illinois juvenile rate of 51 % for the same period. While Safer's three year comparison group is still small, the results show that educational programs can significantly reduce recidivism. (Previous Page)
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