Virginia
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Contact:
Virginia Employment Commission
703 E. Main St.
Richmond, VA 23219
804-786-1485
804-731-0616 fax
Web Site: www.vec.state.va.us
Information about State Department of Labor resources may be of interest to:
A. 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:
Ms. Kia Parson
VA Dept of Corrections
6900 Atmore Dr.
Richmond, VA 23225
(804) 887-8262
(804) 523-3211 fax
Web Site: Virginia.BondingProgram@vadoc.virginia.gov
B. 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:
Virginia Employment Commission
Gateway Building
P.O. Box 1358
Richmond, VA 23218
804-786-2887 or 804-786-4468
804-786-6091 fax
Web Site: www.vec.state.va.us
C. 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.
Applications for unemployment insurance benefits require reporting in person to the nearest office of the Virginia Employment Commission to complete an application, speak with an interviewer, and receive monetary determination. Applications can also be filed via the internet at the web site listed below.
Contact:
Virginia Employment Commission
703 E. Main St.
Richmond, VA 23219
804-786-1484
Web Site: www.vec.state.va.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.
Requests for criminal record searches in Virginia must be made by submitting a "Criminal Record Name Search" form SP-167. The instructions for the completion of this form are noted on the reverse side of the document. This form can be viewed, downloaded and/or printed by visiting the Virginia State Police Forms web site. A $13 fee must accompany each request.
Contact:
Virginia State Police
Records Management Division
P.O. Box 27472
Richmond, VA 23261
804-674-2086
Web Site: www.vsp.state.va.us
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:
Office of the Attorney General
900 E. Main St.
Richmond, VA 23219
804-786-2071
804-786-1991 fax
Web Site: www.oag.state.va.us
Prison Industry Program
Virginia Correctional Enterprises (VCE) produces quality products and services and furnishes work for prison inmates. Products manufactured include office furniture, metal storage equipment, dorm furniture, and apparel. Services offered include printing and institutional laundry.
Contact:
Virginia Correctional Enterprises
8030 White Bark Terrace
Richmond, VA 23237
804-743-4100 (Central VA) or 800-823-2823
804-743-2210 fax
E-Mail: vcemail@vadoc.state.va.us
Web Site: www.vadoc.state.va.us/resources/vce/default.htm
Work Release Program
The Virginia Department of Corrections offers a work release program for prisoners who are nearing completion of their sentences and who meet specific eligibility criteria. The primary goal is to provide work opportunities in a location close to where inmates will be released. Eligible inmates are placed into local jail work release programs. To be eligible, inmates must be at security level one, have a good time earning level of one, have non-violent crime convictions, and be within 12 months of their good time release date or within three years of their mandatory parole release date.
Contact:
Virginia Department of Corrections
6900 Atmore Dr.
Richmond, VA 23225
804-674-3000
E-Mail: directorsoffice@vadoc.state.va.us
Web Site: www.vadoc.state.va.us
Pre-Release Program
During the year prior to an inmate’s release from prison, a 19-session life skills program is made available which addresses information inmates need to live in the community. Topics include finding and keeping a job, locating a residence, budgeting and family responsibilities. Participation is not mandatory.
Contact:
Virginia Department of Corrections
6900 Atmore Dr.
Richmond, VA 23225
804-674-3000
E-Mail: directorsoffice@vadoc.state.va.us
Web Site: www.vadoc.state.va.us
Community Corrections
Probation and Parole supervision is operated through the Community Corrections Division of the Virginia Department of Corrections. Supervision is provided through 42 district offices, 12 state-operated facilities, 10 day reporting centers, and oversight for 10 privately contracted adult residential centers. Day reporting centers provide intensive substance abuse treatment, aftercare/relapse prevention counseling, AA/NA groups, GED/ABE and life skills classes, job referrals, and vocational services. Other services such as parenting skills are provided based on client needs. Adult Residential Programs (ARP) are used by the Parole Board as a condition of parole and by Probation and Parole officers as an intermediate sanction. Offenders receive supervised housing, random urinalysis testing, life skills, and basic counseling.
Contact:
Community Corrections
Virginia Department of Corrections
6900 Atmore Dr.
Richmond, VA 23225
804-674-3244
E-Mail: communitycorrections@vadoc.state.va.us
Web Site: www.vadoc.state.va.us/offenders/community/
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.
A. State Public Defender
Contact:
Public Defender Commission
701 East Franklin St., Suite 1416
Richmond, VA 23219
804-225-3297
804-371-8326 fax
B. Legal Services
The Legal Services Corporation of Virginia and the Virginia Poverty Law Center publish a directory of all legal services available to low-income Virginians. The directory is available upon request from the Virginia Poverty Law Center or at the following web site: www.vplc.org/2002_vls_directory.htm.
Contact:
Legal Services Corporation of Virginia
700 East Main St., Suite 1504
Richmond, VA 23219
804-782-9438
Contact:
Virginia Poverty Law Center
201 West Broad St., Suite 302
Richmond, VA 23220
804-782-9430
C. State Bar Association
Contact:
Virginia Bar Association
701 E. Franklin St., Suite 1120
Richmond, VA 23219
804-644-0041
804-644-0052 fax
E-Mail: thevba@vba.org
Web Site: www.vba.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.
Career Connect
The One-Stop Career Centers in Virginia are known as Career Connect. Services available to job seekers include job referral and placement, referrals for training, and job search, skill-building activities. A wide variety of self-help, computer assisted, as well as printed and video career guidance materials are available. Computers are available to allow easy access to Internet services.
Contact:
Virginia Employment Commission
703 E. Main St.
Richmond, VA 23219
804-786-1484
Web Site: www.vec.state.va.us
TAP Virginia CARES (Community Action Re-entry System)
TAP Virginia CARES (Community Action Re-entry System) program facilitates the return of people with criminal records to their communities and society. They provide basic needs assessments and support services, including employment counseling, assistance with job leads, transportation, resume and application assistance, peer support groups, civil rights restoration assistance, and referrals to appropriate agencies to people with criminal records and their families. Mondays Orientation at 1 pm.
Contact:
141 Campbell Ave. SW
TAP Room 147
108 Henry St NW, 3rd Fl.
Roanoke, VA 24016
540-342-9344
540-342-9427 fax
E-Mail: caresclerk@vacares.org
Web Site: http://www.tapintohope.org/programs/vacares.html