State awarded federal grant for re-entry and employment services

OLYMPIA — The Washington State Employment Security Department and the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County will receive more than $6.2 million from a four-year federal grant called Partners for Reentry Opportunities in Workforce Development, according to an ESD announcement Wednesday.

The grant aims to help connect people exiting King County federal corrections custody with re-entry and employment services. According to the announcement, the funding stems from a first-of-its-kind partnership between the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

"The magic in this grant is that it will bring these systems together to help improve outcomes for justice-impacted individuals," ESD Commissioner Cami Feek said in the statement. “Ensuring access to workforce training for Washingtonians who are reintegrating into their communities from federal corrections custody remains a priority for our agency.”

The statement said the grant supports people who live in residential re-entry centers, also known as transitional housing, to expand their access to more re-entry services. The grant also adds staffing to Washington’s workforce system and builds on existing partnerships between the WDC and federal justice and prison systems. ESD and WDC will coordinate access to additional re-entry services, the announcement said.