The U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration has awarded Tumwater-based workplace development nonprofit Pacific Mountain Workforce Development Council (PacMtn) a $1.49 million grant for pre- and post-prison release services in Lewis and Thurston counties through 2025.
The Pathways Home 3 grant will fund PacMtn’s Community Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) and expand the Preparing for Reentry Employment Program (PREP) to provide pre-and-post release services for justice-impacted individuals in Lewis and Thurston counties, according to a news release.
“Justice-impacted individuals face an uphill battle and a conviction can keep them from obtaining housing, employment, student loans or social welfare programs,” said PacMtn CEO William Westmoreland in a prepared statement. “PacMtn and other Pathways partners recognize that justice-involved individuals are disproportionately vulnerable to poverty and need additional support services to be successful. The job seekers invested in Pathways will ultimately be less likely to live in poverty, less likely to return to jail and more likely to contribute to the economic success of the PacMtn region.”
The official grant start date was July 1 and the grant will run through Dec. 31, 2025.
PacMtn plans to release a request for proposals later in July for community-based organizations and other qualified partners interested in providing services for career coaching, financial mobility and basic education, according to a news release.
“The long-standing partnership that we’ve had with PacMtn has been extremely beneficial for individuals housed in our facility,” said Lewis County Corrections Chief Chris Sweet in a prepared statement. “This partnership with PacMtn has positively impacted many individuals in providing them the ability to seek employment after incarceration. I look forward to continuing this program at the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office Jail and I’m very pleased PacMtn was awarded the Pathways Home 3 grant. Let’s get to work and continue making positive differences in individuals’ lives.”
For more information on PacMtn and the Pathways Home 3 grant, contact Kelly Fujimoto atkelly@pacmtn.org.
