Customer Service: Who Pushes Your Buttons?

I've had the distinct privilege of working with a number of agenciesand individuals over the past two years whose primary focus is toassist individuals who were previously incarcerated.  This group,referred to as ex-offenders by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL),brings with it a number of unique challenges and opportunities.  One of the first things I cover in all of the trainings I do about aspecific group of job seekers is the basics.  Like any business, if wedon't know and understand our target market, how are we going to beable to effectively provide services?  First, let's look at a fewstatistics.  According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 2008,there were 2,320,984 people who were incarcerated in federal/stateprisons or local jails.  That averages to about 1 in every 100 personsliving in the United States.  Nationally, 18% of those incarceratedwere Hispanic, 48% Black, 7% Caucasian and 28% listed as "other."  Inthe state of California (where I'm at), the landscape was verydifferent.  Individuals of Hispanic decent made up 39% of thepopulation, with the remaining being 29% Black, 26% Caucasian, and 6%identifying as "other."Another distinguishing feature of this group was the presence ofdisability.  While current statistics are often difficult to confirmand sources vary widely, the data that does exist suggests a highpercentage of those incarcerated also have disabilities.  The presenceof psychiatric disabilities ranged from 16-25%, while a 2004 surveydone by the Bureau of Justice Statistics found that 53% of inmates metthe Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV)criteria for substance abuse or dependence.  Medical conditions, suchas arthritis, hypertension, or heart problems, were found in 44% ofinmates.  Learning disabilities were seen in 1 in 4 or 23% of inmates,with the numbers reportedly higher in younger offenders.  My contactsin the field believe the presence of disability is much higher thanwhat these statistics reveal, especially since some sources base theirnumbers on self-report.If that's not enough, there is the social stigma (particularly if thecrime was violent or sexual), potential lack of family support andcommunity resources, possible employment restrictions, and, based onhow long someone has been incarcerated, the adjustment period of beingout of prison.  Interestingly, the number one challenge for someoneleaving prison usually isn't the initial meeting with their paroleofficer, finding a job, or getting benefits planning counseling. Withlimited funds for a security deposit, the potential reluctance oflandlords to rent a unit, and the barring of certain criminalconvictions from public housing, finding suitable housing is seen asthe number one challenge.While I've only touched on a few areas, you can see just from thisinformation alone that the need to connect with other serviceproviders is absolutely essential.  Often, agencies spread themselvestoo thin and try to meet each and every need on their own.  Becausethe needs of someone who was previously incarcerated can be so varied,your goal should be to bring together the "experts" from each area ofservice (e.g. housing, job placement, disability-related, etc.).  Thenext article will focus on what partners to consider bringing to thetable and strategies for building those relationships.