Connecticut
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Contact:
200 Folly Brook Boulevard
Wethersfield, CT 06109
860-263-6505
860-263-6529 fax
Web Site: www.ctdol.state.ct.us
Information about State Department of Labor resources may be of interest to:
• potential employers looking for incentives to hire individuals with criminal histories;
• service providers and individuals with criminal histories who are looking for assistance in finding employment; and
• researchers and policy makers looking at current programs to ascertain what programs are effective and serve their intended purpose.
Federal Bonding Program
The Federal Bonding Program provides fidelity bonding insurance coverage to individuals with criminal histories and other high-risk job applicants who are qualified, but fail to get jobs because regular commercial bonding is denied due to their backgrounds.
Contact:
Operational support Unit
Connecticut Department of Labor
200 Folly Brook Boulevard
Wethersfield, CT 06109
860-263-6735
860-263-6039 fax
Web Site: www.ctdol.state.ct.us/busservices/Bonding.htm
Tax Credits
The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a federal tax credit to reduce the federal tax liability of private for profit employers to be used as an incentive for employers to hire individuals from eight different targeted groups: TANF recipients, veterans, ex-felons, high risk youth, summer youth, Food Stamp recipients, SSI recipients, and vocational rehabilitation referrals.
Contact:
Connecticut Department of Labor
Program Support Unit
200 Folly Brook Boulevard
Wethersfield, CT 06109
860-263-6060
Web Site: www.ctdol.state.ct.us/progsupt/taxcredits/wotc.htm
Unemployment Insurance Office
Unemployment compensation is a social insurance program designed to provide benefits to most individuals out of work, generally through no fault of their own, for periods between jobs. In order to be eligible for benefits, jobless workers must demonstrate that they have worked, usually measured by amount of wages and/or weeks of work, and must be able and available for work.
The unemployment compensation program is based upon federal law, but administered by states under state law.
Forms and information may be obtained at any local One Stop Center and via the internet at the web site listed below. (See also Section VII of this site "Local Service Providers.")
Contact:
Connecticut Department of Labor
200 Folly Brook Boulevard
Wethersfield, CT 06109
860-263-6785
Web Site: www.ctdol.state.ct.us/
This is the agency individuals may contact to obtain a copy of their state rap sheet. The criminal record repository can also tell the individual who else is legally entitled to have access to his or her record.
All requests for criminal history information must be made in writing with a $25 check or money order and Form DPS-846-C which can be downloaded from www.state.ct.us/dps/SPBI.htm.
Contact:
State of Connecticut
Department of Public Safety
State Police Bureau of Identification
1111 County Club Road
P.O. Box 2794
Middletown, CT 06457-9294
1-860-685-8480
Web Site: www.state.ct.us/dps/SPBI.htm
Employers and service providers may obtain information from the state attorney general regarding occupational bars, the licensing of individuals with criminal records in certain jobs, and whether the state has laws that limit what employers may ask job applicants or protections against employment discrimination based on a criminal record.
Contact:
Web Site: http://www.ct.gov/doc/site/default.asp
Contact:
Web Site: www.ct.gov/doc/cwp/view.asp?a=1520&q=284830&docNav=|40574|
Free or low-cost legal resources, both in civil and criminal law, are helpful to individuals with criminal histories in learning about relevant state laws governing the expungement or sealing of criminal histories or addressing other legal issues resulting from having a criminal history.
State Public Defender
Contact:
Office of the Chief Public Defender
30 Trinity Street, 4th Floor
Hartford, CT 06106
860-509-6400
Web Site: www.ocpd.state.ct.us/
Legal Services
The Legal Services Network in Connecticut is a group of nonprofit organizations that provide free legal assistance in civil matters to low-income people. The Network includes four programs: Statewide Legal Services, Connecticut Legal Services, Inc., Greater Hartford Legal Aid, and New Haven Legal Assistance Association. Statewide Legal Services accepts phone calls between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Mondays, 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Statewide Legal Services
Contact:
Statewide Legal Services
425 Main Street
Middletown , CT 06457
800-453-3320; 860-344-0380 (Middletown and Hartford)
Connecticut Legal Services
Connecticut Legal Services is working on issues around employment and criminal records
Contact:
Connecticut Legal Services
587 Main Street
New Britain, CT 06051
Web Site: www.connlegalservices.org/
Greater Hartford Legal Aid
Advocates from Greater Hartford Legal Aid are working on issues regarding legal and policy barriers to ex-offender employment.
Contact:
Greater Hartford Legal Aid
999 Asylum Avenue, 3rd Floor
Hartford, CT 06105
860-541-5015
State Bar Association
Contact:
Connecticut Bar Association
30 Bank Street
New Britain, CT 06050
860-223-4400
860-223-4488 fax
Web Site: www.ctbar.org
Community agencies are available to assist individuals with criminal records find employment. This information will inform individuals with criminal records about government agencies and community-based organizations that assist with employment, education or vocational training. Researchers and policy makers may find this information useful in identifying agencies and service providers in order to evaluate the effectiveness of these programs.
Connecticut Works Centers
Connecticut Works Centers offer services to job seekers including job searches, job readiness assessments with referrals to appropriate training programs if needed, resume assistance, resource information, counseling, workshops, access to the internet, fax and copy machines, phones, and reference libraries with videos, books and written materials.
Contact:
Web Site: www.ctdol.state.ct.us/
Career Resources, Inc.
Career Resources is a non-profit workforce development organization that has achieved national recognition for preparing youth and adults in Southwestern Connecticut to gain employment and progress in their careers. It also publishes a local directory of workforce development organizations in the Bridgeport area that provide employment services to people with criminal records. The publications can be found at http://www.careerresources.org/CRI_Bridgeport_program_directory_january_....
Contact:
Career Resources, Inc.
350 Fairfield Avenue
Bridgeport, CT 06604
(203) 333-5129
information@careerresources.org
Web Site: www.careerresources.org
Family ReEntry’s
(FRE) mission is to develop, implement, and share sustainable, cost-effective solutions for the unprecedented numbers of people involved in the criminal justice system, which empower individuals, strengthen families, and build communities. Our programs comprise three integrated sectors: Prevention, Intervention, and Reentry, providing a spectrum of services designed to help break the cycle of incarceration. FRE addresses the specific needs of each client and their families through individualized case management and support services. FRE’s programs include: Domestic Violence Treatment and Education, Community Reentry, Mentoring Programs and Intensive Outpatient Programs.
Offices are located in Bridgeport, Norwalk and New Haven. Programs are also located in Waterbury, and Norwich.
Contact:
Main Office:
Downtown West
75 Washington Avenue
Bridgeport, CT 06604
(203) 576-6924