Update on the Philadelphia Re-Entry Employment Program

Last year, Philadelphia City Council passed and Mayor Nutter signed into law a program that gives municipal tax credits to companies that hire former inmates and provide them vocational training—the Philadelphia Re-entry Employment Program (PREP). This program represents a concerted effort to encourage the hiring of ex-offenders and stem the high rate of recidivism, growing crime rates and exploding prison populations and costs.

Specifically, businesses that have hired an ex-offender since Jan. 1, 2008 can apply for a $10,000 credit per year against their Business Privilege Tax for three years. Applications are available at www.phila.gov/revenue.

As part of this initiative, Goodwill Industries, which provides marketable job skills to local residents, is partnering with the City to give ex-offenders a range of job-related and social-support services designed to facilitate their re-entry into society. Goodwill Industries trains individuals in all phases of semi-skilled hand work, light manufacturing, repacking, labels and mailings and fulfillment services.

If your company is able to outsource any of these production needs to Goodwill Industries or if you would like more information on the outsourcing process, please contact Robert Hain, Director of Business Development for Goodwill Industries, at rhain@goodwillnj.org.