CiviC JustiCe Corps: transforming re-entry through...

CiviC JustiCe Corps: transforming re-entry through serviCe

The Corps NeTwork | 1100 G sTreeT, Nw, suiTe 1000, washiNGToN, DC 20005 | Tel. 202.737.6272 | Fax. 202.737.6277

CiviC JusTiCe Corps: TraNsFormiNG re-eNTry ThrouGh serviCe / November 2009

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CiviC JustiCe Corps:

sally t. prouty, eugene sofer, and Judy Karasik november 2009

transforming re-entry through serviCe

established in 1985, the Corps network is the voice of the nation’s 143 service and Conservation Corps. Currently operating in 44

states and the District of Columbia, Corps enroll more than 29,000 young men and women in service every year. Corps mobilize

approximately 227,000 community volunteers who in conjunction with Corpsmembers generate 21.3 million hours of service every year.

when Francisco vizcarrondo opens his own heating and cooling business someday,

he will not forget that others gave him a chance to succeed despite his past drug

addiction, arrests and lack of education. he has big plans -- including giving

young people with troubled pasts an opportunity to work for him and turn their lives

around, just as others gave him a similar opportunity. . . .

he first tried marijuana when he was 13, which led to experiments with a variety of

drugs and addiction to methamphetamine. “after that, my priorities were mixed

up. my character went downhill,” he said.

he dropped out of high school his senior year and began stealing to pay for drugs.

after his third arrest, he faced a nearly four-year prison sentence. as he waited

in a madera County holding cell, vizcarrondo decided he had to change his life.

he agreed to enter a drug rehabilitation program in exchange for a suspended

sentence. he went to live and work at the salvation army’s rehab center and

stopped using drugs. after a year with the salvation army, the maximum allowed,

he knew he should not return to his old life in madera.

a friend told him about the [Fresno local] Conservation Corps, which found him a

place to live. he joined the Corps, earned his high school diploma at Cesar Chavez

adult school and worked on various Corps projects, learning concrete laying,

framing, landscaping and other skills along the way. vizcarrondo works eight-hour

days for minimum wage at the Corps and studies heating, ventilation and air

conditioning at Fresno City College two nights a week. . . . he said he has learned

to “live by principles,” and listed hard work, integrity, honesty, hope and faith as

guiding his decisions. he also credited counselors and others for his turnaround.

“i can never repay what they did for me,” vizcarrondo said.

--The Fresno bee, march 25, 2008


“…he said he has

learned to ‘live by

principles,’ and

listed hard work,

integrity, honesty,

hope and faith

as guiding his

decisions...”


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introductionThe Fresno local Conservation Corps’ Civic Justice Corps program changed the life of Francisco vizcarrondo. he is one of many finding

opportunity through Civic Justice Corps (CJC). CJC, a national initiative of The Corps Network, enables young people who have been caught up

in the justice system to transform their lives through programs run by service and Conservation Corps. it offers policymakers and practitioners

at the federal, state, and local levels an innovative—and promising—model for successful re-entry and diversion. in addition, because its

service projects increasingly focus on green service—reducing energy use, restoring the environment, and using renewable energy—CJC

provides credential-based green pathways to success for those looking for a second chance.

CJC addresses a major challenge facing our nation: far too many incarcerated and court-involved youth fail to transition to productive

adulthood. Through CJC, service and Conservation Corps successfully engage these young people in serving their communities, gaining

academic credentials, developing skills for work and life, and securing sustainable jobs. CJC has demonstrated its ability to reduce recidivism,

address essential community needs, and prepare young people to become productive, tax-paying citizens who serve as role models for others.

Now it needs to be taken to scale.

in CJC, service is the center of a strategy that includes formal working partnerships with justice agencies, employers, and other community

agencies, engaging systems in collaboration as a part of its method; individual case management and intensive services; life skills

development, service-learning, education, and employment preparation; and meaningful service projects. CJC is flexible—it has met the needs

and tapped the assets of communities nationwide, from wisconsin to Texas to California to Florida.

in their first two years of operation, the initial fourteen CJC pilot sites have achieved startlingly impressive results that far exceeded its goals:


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• 559 enrolled

• 436 formerly/currently incarcerated (exceeding the goal of one-half or 279)

• 47.1% received GED/high school diploma

• 79.0% placement in job/education (exceeding the goal of 60%)

• 72.2% retention in job/education placements

• 10.2% recidivism (exceeding the goal of 20% below the prevailing rate of 50-70%)

since then, an additional seven CJC sites have begun operations.

Development of the CJC modelCJC has been developed and supported in a partnership among The u.s. Department of labor, The Corporation for National and Community

service, the open society institute, The bill & melinda Gates Foundation, the Cascade Center for Community Governance, and The Corps

Network. The Corps Network is particularly grateful for the support of susan Tucker, Director of the after-prison initiative at the open society

institute for advancing the idea of CJC in 2005 and working consistently since that time to see it become a reality.

The model itself is the result of a decade of program development by The Corps Network, in partnership with its member Corps, in a series of

national initiatives that incrementally built a more effective model, with more innovative implementation of its required program elements in

each iteration. The Corps Network’s interest in the CJC model grew out of its historic interest in addressing the needs of disconnected youth,

and from discussions with the late Dennis maloney, a pioneer in the field of restorative justice and a passionate advocate for reform of the

juvenile justice system.

First, in Corps to Career initiative in the late 1990s, supported by foundations including the Charles stewart mott Foundation and the Dewitt

wallace/reader’s Digest Fund, The Corps Network focused on implementing effective practices in workforce development. one Corps to Career

site, at ohio’s Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), affirmatively recruited court-involved youth. That program was led by sally prouty, now the

president and Ceo of The Corps Network. under the Corps to Career model, 89 percent of ohio CCC Corpsmembers, serious offenders exiting

juvenile justice correctional centers completed parole, secured jobs, and stayed out of incarceration centers.

These successes led to CJC, started in 2006, which focused almost entirely on formerly incarcerated and court-involved youth in service to

community and the environment, with intensive coordination of justice and educational systems, as well as supportive services. when CJC

expanded to New orleans in 2008, Corps added an emphasis on workforce paths into the green economy.


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The Corps Network has a depth of institutional knowledge regarding each of these program elements, experience in implementing them—and

continuously improving them—in communities across the nation.

research-based

The elements added at each step of the evolution of the CJC model incorporate proven effective practices, including service, service-learning,

transition to jobs and/or education and credentials.1 Court-involved young people, especially those coming back to the community after

incarceration, succeed thanks to the integration of these and other research-based methods. we know what works. Quality is strengthened

through high expectations, youth involvement, and clear codes of conduct; experiential learning, self-paced curricula, and incentives; staff and

leadership who build strong relationships with youth and garner community support; and holistic comprehensive services, including counseling,

health services, housing and food assistance, and child care.2

service as a strategy

“The time between ages 16 and 24 is developmentally important, as young people prepare to take on adult responsibilities. This is the time to lay the foundation for successful labor market participation and civic responsibility, through exposure to work and learning, career options, training, community service, leadership opportunities, access to postsecondary education, and progressively challenging employment experiences. . . . it is against our national interest to allow millions of young people to spend this critical period only marginally attached to the labor market; increasingly reliant on the underground economy for their livelihoods; disconnected from social supports and constructive guidance; and learning their survival skills from the streets instead of from the classroom, the workplace, and adult mentors.” --“our youth, our economy, our Future: a National investment strategy for reconnecting america’s youth,” The Campaign for youth, 2009.

service is a proven strategy for reconnecting disconnected youth to their communities.3 a recent report notes that “engaging in service can

offer opportunities for youths to connect with adults who can help them scaffold their transition to adulthood,” adding that “service [provides]

developmental opportunities for those transitioning to adulthood, but may be especially helpful to those youths with fewer connections to

mainstream opportunities and institutions.”4 service can build community; turn young people into “valued, competent resources” rather than

1 key CJC features reflect the National Dropout prevention Center’s Fifteen effective strategies for Dropout prevention, including school-Community Collaboration, safe learning environments, mentoring/Tutoring, service-learning, alternative schooling, active learning, individualized instruction, and Career and Technical education. see their “15 effec-tive strategies for Dropout prevention,” cited in “measure what matters,” marty Duckenfield and sam Drew, National Dropout prevention Center, in Growing to Greatness 2006, NylC, 2006.

2 These are identified as key in “Disconnected youth: Federal action Could address some of the Challenges Faced by local programs That reconnect youth to education and employment,’ report to the Chairman, Committee on education and labor, house of representatives, us Government accountability office, February 2008.

3 Jastrzab, Joann, et. al., youth Corps: promising strategies for young people and their Communities,” abt associates: February, 1997, pp. 16-194 Finley, Andrea K., Constance Flanagan, Sarah Black, “Service as a Developmental Opportunity: Building Connections for Vulnerable Youths,” National Youth Leadership Council:

2007, p. 2


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clients; “build practical skills and disciplines;” and “inculcate a sense of civic responsibility.”5 service enables Corpsmembers to reverse

their former patterns of behavior, not only to find new values, but to be accountable for living those values. They create visible and valued

contributions. They identify and solve public problems.

service-learning strengthens learning, responsibility, and Civic engagement

service-learning, a form of experiential learning, strengthens career development, social responsibility, and citizenship skills, promoting lifelong

service to community and civic participation.6 it is especially effective for young people who have been failed by traditional education. a

three-year study from uCla funded by atlantic philanthropies confirmed the cognitive and affective benefits to students of combining academic

study with service to community. 7 Through service-learning, Corpsmembers often identify problems in their communities and help solve them

through service. at other times, when service projects are designed and initiated by the community, local organizations or agencies, the team

shapes its approach in terms of the project’s value to community and environment, connecting improvements to existing community entities.

learning occurs through a problem- or project-based model, a research-based practice in which “students explore real-world problems and

create exhibitions to share what they have learned . . . helps students to develop the habits of mind valued in school and the workplace.”8

Through civic engagement, court-involved youth to reverse their relationship with the community. instead of being liabilities, they become

assets.

Connections to work and education

CJC connects young reentrants to work and education, providing bridges into adulthood. The annie e. Casey “roadmap for Juvenile Justice

reform” states that “a successful transition from adolescence to adulthood requires youth to acquire education and skills, build a social

network, and develop self-discipline and personal autonomy. incarceration undermines young people’s opportunities to meet most of

these challenges.” 9 in particular, CJC moves Corpsmembers toward employment or education and meaningful credentials (and increasingly

into jobs in the green economy, seen by many as effective pathways out of poverty10). The “blueprint for Juvenile Justice reform” notes that

“workforce development—helping teens attain job skills and earn money—is often a key motivator for adolescents” and that “upon release

teenagers must enroll immediately in school or have a job waiting.” 11

5 Commission on National and Community service, “what you Can Do for your Country,” 1993, p. 7-8.6 eyler, Janet s., Dwight e. Giles, Jr., Christine m. stenson, and Charlene J. Gray, “at a Glance: what we know about the effects of service-learning on College students, Faculty,

institutions and Communities, 1993-2000 (Third edition).” Corporation for National and Community service National service learning Clearinghouse: 2001.7 astin, alexander w., lori J. vogelgesang, elaine k. ikeda, and Jennifer a. lee, “how service-learning affects students.” higher education research institute, university of Califor-

nia, los angeles: 2000.8 Closing the Graduation Gap, metisnet for the youth Transitions Funders Group, huwww.ytfg.org/mpgresourcesuh, 2008.9 annie e. Casey Foundation, “a roadmap for Juvenile Justice reform” in kiDs CouNT 2008, p. 10 10 Green For all, makes the case for “green-collar” jobs as follows: “like blue-collar jobs, green-collar jobs pay family wages and provide opportunities for advancement along a

career track of increasing skills and wages. . . . most green-collar jobs are middle-skill jobs requiring more education than high school, but less than a four-year degree -- and are well within reach for lower-skilled and low-income workers as long as they have access to effective training programs and appropriate supports. we must ensure that all green-collar jobs strategies provide opportunities for low-income people to take the first step on a pathway from poverty to economic self-sufficiency.” http://www.greenforall.org/resources/green-collar-jobs-overview/green-collar-jobs-overview

11 youth Transition Funders Group (yTFG), “a blueprint for Juvenile Justice reform,” n.d. p. 16.


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effective support through Coordinated systems

The collaborative CJC model reforms systems through meaningful and much-needed coordination. according to a 2000 oJJDp report, “Juvenile

offenders [exiting confinement] as well as other high-risk youth encounter many problems that often require responses from numerous agencies

. . . . personal and family problems . . . can generate turmoil for youth, who may also become lost in a tangle of bureaucratic agencies that too

often share only limited information with each other, resulting in fragmented assistance.” 12 barriers, including legal and practical barriers

to licenses, jobs, housing, and education, may require assistance to overcome. The urban institute says that “efforts to improve employment

outcomes of former prisoners should often be supplemented by quality programming that addresses key areas of need” and “lasting change is

unlikely to occur without ongoing and coordinated support in the community.” 13 in CJC, coordination replaces chaos.

CJC addresses major public policy ChallengesDemand is increasing for CJC outcomes because of several key trends:

Numbers of out-of-school/out-of-work young people are on the rise: An estimated 3.8 million youth ages 18-24 are neither employed nor in

school—15% of all young adults.14 In 2008, unemployment for out-of-school youth ages 16-24 was at 31.7%, up 9% from 2000. 15 The

recession is exacerbating an already severe crisis.

incarceration is increasing, and the majority of inmates are dropouts. in 2005, over 2 million people were incarcerated at an average annual

cost of $20,000 per inmate – for a total cost of close to $43 billion annually. (The 2005 cost represents an increase of $17 billion since 1995,16

and in 2008 the annual average cost of incarceration rose to nearly $29,000.17) in state facilities, the average annual cost of incarceration is

much higher, at $88,000 per year. 18 One in 30 men between the ages of 20 and 34 is behind bars—and for black males in that age group the

figure is one in nine.19 according to the bureau of Justice statistics, approximately 120,000 youth under the age of 18 are currently incarcerated

in juvenile detention centers, state prisons, and local jails. in addition, 75 percent of america’s state prison inmates and 59 percent of federal

prison inmates are high school dropouts.20

12 ronald D. stephens and June lane arnette (oJJDp), From the Courthouse to the schoolhouse: making successful Transitions, oJJDp u.s. Department of Justice: February, 2000, p.3.

13 solomon, amy l., kelly Dedel Johnson, Jeremy Travis, and elizabeth C. mcbride, “From prison to work: The employment Dimensions of prisoner reentry,” urban institute Justice Policy Center: October 2004, p. 5, and Solomon, Amy, Jenny W.L. Osborne, Stefan F. LoBuglio, Jeff Mellow, Debbie A. Mukamal, Life After Lockup: Improving Reentry from Jail to the Community, urban institute Justice policy Center: may 2008, p. 21.

14 Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2004) Kids Count data book. Baltimore, MD. Cited in Martin, N. and Halperin, S. (2006). Whatever It Takes: How Twelve Communities Are Recon-necting out-of-school youth. washington, DC: american youth policy Forum.

15 out with the old and in with the New: us labor markets 2000-2008 and the Case for an immediate Jobs Creation program for Teens and young adults, andrew sum, et. al., Cemter for Labor Market Studies, Northeastern University, December 2008, p. 14.

16 “pew public safety performance project: statistics and Facts,” released February 2008, www.pewpublicsafety.org17 one in 31: The long reach of american Corrections, The pew Center on the states, march 2009, p. 2.18 Justice policy institute. The Costs of Confinement : why Good Juvenile Justice policies make Good Fiscal sense. may 2009. http://www.justicepolicy.org/images/upload/09_05_

rep_CostsofConfinement_JJ_ps.pdf19 one in 31, p. 34. 20 harlow, 2003, cited in “reducing the Nation’s Drop-out rate: a Fact sheet,” at http://www.nea.org/presscenter/actionplanfacts.html


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permanent disconnection is a real possibility for many. an estimated 2.8 million young people are at risk of permanent disconnection from the

labor force and positive, productive social support systems. These 2.8 million youth are unemployed or out of the labor force; they are either high

school dropouts or high school graduates who are not looking for work and not being supported by a spouse. This 2.8 million includes those who

are incarcerated, homeless, or in foster care without being in school, having a job or having a stable place to live.21

education makes a difference. Young adults ages 17 to 24 with less than a high school diploma are three times more likely than those with

a college degree to be unemployed, underemployed, or working for very low wages.22 earnings correlate to education: in 2007, average

annual earnings of male drop-outs were under $23,000, while male workers with some college earned over $41,000, and men completing the

undergraduate degree earned over $57,000. On average, female drop-outs earned $14,000; with some college they earned $27,000; and with

the bachelor’s degree, on average, earned close to $39,00.23

CJC’s eight key Componentseight key components contribute significantly to the success of CJC.

(1) partnerships with Justice agencies. Justice agency partnerships play a key role in the success of the Civic Justice Corps sites. CJC sites have

developed strong partnerships with a variety of justice agencies, including probation/parole departments, youth courts, prosecutors’ offices,

correctional facilities, pre-release centers, treatment programs, and police departments. These partners assist in recruitment and provide

valuable support services to enhance the Corps’ work. These partnerships help program enrollment and, even more importantly, contribute

to Corpsmembers’ continued success throughout the program. because justice agencies’ desired outcomes, such as reduced recidivism,

educational gains, and employment placements, so closely mirror those of Civic Justice Corps, justice agencies and Corps make mutually

beneficial partners.

(2) partnerships with employers/workforce Development. employer partnerships are integral to the success of Civic Justice Corps sites,

important not just for job placement at the end of the program but also for Corpsmembers’ workforce preparation throughout the program. Civic

Justice Corps forge partnerships with employers from a wide variety of national and local high growth industries such as construction,

electrical, plumbing, hvaC, retail, health care, hospitality, transportation, ship building, food services, electronics recycling, advanced

manufacturing, trucking, shipping, and the automotive sector. Green employers have become central to Civic Justice Corps programs as green

jobs entered the high growth portfolio, helping to identify key certifications as green technologies emerge and mandates for energy and water

21 Wald, M. and T. Martinez, 2003, “Connected by 25: Improving the Life Chances of the Country’s Most Vulnerable 14-24 Year-Olds” for the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.22 “The big payoff: educational attainment and synthetic estimates of work-life earnings,” us Census bureau, July 2002. These figures are from the period 1997-99.23 “income, earnings, and poverty Data” from the 2007 american Community survey, us Census bureau, august 2008, p. 15.


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conservation grow. employer partners provide venues for internships and jobs, facilitate career exploration, and help Corpsmembers gain “real

world” perspective. in addition, employer input helps Corps offer thorough and up-to-date workforce preparation activities as a key part of

Corpsmember development. For employers who care about their communities and seek reliable additions to their own workforce, partnering with

Civic Justice Corps is both a smart business decision and a way to give back to their communities.

(3) educational attainment & postsecondary Connections: in most labor markets, careers that offer a living wage and are capable of sustaining

a family require a high school diploma or GeD at a minimum: increasingly, young adults need post-secondary credentials to compete and

succeed. many Corpsmembers seek to be the first in their family to obtain a high school diploma or attend college and many have some

responsibility for supporting their family, making educational attainment and postsecondary connections key to Corpsmembers’ continued

success after the Corps. To help Corpsmembers work toward and attain credentials, CJC sites create their own charter schools, bring adult

high schools on site, incorporate a variety of instructional methods, including small classrooms, one-on-one tutors, and self-paced work

plans, and emphasize service-learning, which connects learning and service and ties academic topics to Corpsmembers’ service projects. in

addition, CJC sites connect Corpsmembers to postsecondary opportunities through Corps-specific college preparation classes, co-enrollment in

community colleges, and on-site postsecondary classes. The increased wages and career opportunities provided by a high school diploma, GeD,

postsecondary education, or training benefit Corpsmembers, their families, and their communities. Community colleges, adult high schools, and

other education and training institutions seeking to increase their enrollment while benefiting the community are strong partners for CJC.


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(4) Meaningful Service Projects/Service-Learning. service is the center of the CJC model. by completing meaningful service projects, CJC sites

provide tangible benefits to the community while engaging and connecting Corpsmembers. service projects resonate with the community at

large, addressing identified community needs and demonstrating results that fill those needs. Corps involve Corpsmembers in assessing needs

and identifying and implementing solutions, so that service projects have meaning to Corpsmembers. For these young men and women, who

may have been considered “a problem” by neighbors, family, and even themselves, service-learning provides an opportunity to reconnect on

several levels. They become stewards of the community they may have harmed, and they reconsider and recast their role in the community,

their families, and their own lives. service projects help Corpsmembers develop “hard” skills (technical expertise applicable to environmental,

construction, and other fields) and “soft” skills (critical thinking, communication, teamwork, and others). The community not only has key

needs addressed – such as sidewalks repaired in an environmentally-friendly manner or energy-efficient homes created – but gain young

people with the skills to obtain employment, lead community change, and become positive role models for their peers and families.

(5) Corpsmember Development. Corpsmember development ensures that Corpsmembers have the necessary personal and professional

competencies for continued success after the Corps. workforce development, educational advancement, civic engagement, and growth in

responsible behaviors are all essential elements in CJC Corpsmember development. Corpsmembers come to the Corps with a wide range of

professional and personal goals, a variety of life experiences, and a wealth of untapped potential. To be effective, CJC sites have to identify

these goals, experiences, and areas of potential and create a series of intentional opportunities and supports to ensure each Corpsmember


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receives the full benefit of the Corps. intensive case management removes barriers to achievement, both external and internal, that CJC

Corpsmembers may have. To remove external barriers like the lack of transportation, health services (including support for those with dual

diagnoses as well as somatic health needs), and child care, CJC Corps drew on additional support services. To remove internal barriers, CJC

Corpsmembers use individual Development plans to set personal goals, track progress, develop life skills, and identify and resolve challenges

with the coaching of a caring adult. CJC sites use peer recruitment, targeted interviews, and comprehensive orientations to incorporate

individual development from the start. Corps incorporate input from Corpsmembers to continuously improve the program. building on

the Corps’ team-based approach, Corps encourage individual Corpsmember development to promote the transformative growth that is the

cornerstone of Corpsmembers’ success.

(6) local support. by building local support, Corps ensure that they have the relationships, meaningful community service projects, and

funding necessary to attain sustainability. They build this support by connecting to key stakeholders, identifying and pursuing a range of

forms of support, and forming innovative partnerships, creating service projects that are valued by the community by involving residents in the

design and selection of projects. local support grows as the community comes to understand the Corps’ mission, becomes familiar with the

Corpsmembers’ stories, and benefits from the work of the Corps. Corps also earn support as they build visibility through local media coverage

and build their reputations through positive references from current partners and employers. support can come in many forms: in-kind free or

low cost space, shared staff, Corpsmember services, administrative functions, as well as cash funding for Corps programs. by securing an

array of local support, CJC sites become a visible and valued part of their community, ensuring their continued survival and future growth.

(7) staff Development. by identifying and developing high quality staff, Corps ensure that they have the youth service professionals in place

to effectively implement the program. buildings, projects, equipment, and curriculum are useless unless a Corps has highly qualified, fully

trained, and well-supported staff in place to be the “face of the program” and connect young adults to all the Corps had to offer. CJC sites

emphasize the connecting, bonding, and counseling role of staff as they select and develop their personnel and make staff development

a regular part of Corps operations, starting at hiring and continuing through regularly scheduled meetings, appropriate trainings, and

organizational support. They use a variety of strategies for staff development including full staff orientations, regular team meetings,

conferences, on-line courses, community partners, county agency offerings, outside trainers, and cross-team sharing. Through thorough staff

development, CJC sites ensure that all staff can perform to their potential, the program runs at its highest level, and, most importantly, that

Corpsmembers are connected to caring adults who can challenge and support them in reaching their goals.

(8) post-program support & Follow-up. Corpsmembers make life-changing transformations while in the Corps, becoming leaders in their own

lives and their community. These new habits and positive behaviors, however, can be a struggle to maintain once a Corpsmember leaves the


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reinforcing team environment of the crew and the program. CJC staff provide post-program support with tangible and valued benefits to ensure

that the progress Corpsmembers make during the Corps is sustained and built upon as they transition to the workplace, further education, or

another opportunity. by regularly connecting with the Corps staff, graduates continue to hone their job keeping skills, get referrals to support

services, and maintain the positive changes in their lives. CJC sites employ web resources, family members, regular events, and incentives

to connect with graduates. This continuous connection ensures better employment and post-secondary retention, more complete data for the

program, and, most importantly, valuable support to program graduates.

one life at a TimeThe remarkable CJC statistics have been built one life at a time.

sarah laroque came to heart of oregon CJC after a grim series of bad choices. she had dropped out of school by the seventh grade. she had

a history of drug use and was in and out of jail more times than she could count. her mother and brother died of drug-related incidents by the

time she was 13.

one day, sarah found she was pregnant. she joined heart of oregon CJC, where she cleared trail, built homes for low-income families—and

found a way to change patterns that had seemed impossible to escape.

Through service, and through the consistent standards and caring support of the Corps, she turned her life around. Today she is a hardworking

single mother who handles customer relations at a local broadband company.

larocque earned her GeD through the program and said she wouldn’t have been able to get her job without it. she also received assistance

with her resume and was awarded a $2,000 college scholarship after graduation, which she has plans to use.

since she joined the Corps, she hasn’t had a bad day. “it’s hard to be upset when there’s a baby laughing and giggling with you who loves you,”

she said. larocque dreams of attending college and wants to make sure her daughter will as well. “i want to start the college trend with her.”

larocque said her experience at heart of oregon CJC not only gave her the support to turn her life around, but the confidence to do it.

“They made my dreams a reality because i could see them,” she said. “it’s the foundation of how i did what i did.”

1100 G street, Nwsuite 1000washington, DC 20005

Tel. 202.737.6272Fax. 202.737.6277

www.corpsnetwork.org

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