The Jail Mental Health Program began with grant funding from the Minnesota Department of Corrections and is designed to assess and address mental health and psychiatry issues of inmates in the Carver County Jail. The program enables a part-time Psychologist and Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner to provide assessment and treatment services to inmates. They work with the Offender Reentry Program Coordinator to ensure follow-up on identified mental health and chemical dependency treatment needs after inmates leave the jail. Offered to all inmates, community reentry services are designed to help reduce recidivism and increase public safety by helping former offenders who are re-entering the local community access services to meet their basic needs and to address employment, housing, and health care needs.

Call Behavioral Health at (952) 442-4437 for more information on Jail Mental Health or the Offender Reentry Program.

Resources for Job Seekers With a Criminal Record

The Offender Reentry Program works in partnership with Workforce Services to assist former inmates in finding employment in the community. The program reminds job seekers that employers routinely run background checks on potential employees: It is important to know what is on your record to be able to explain it. It is also important to remember that, while some companies are unable or unwilling to hire individuals with a criminal record, there are employers in the community that are open to giving second chances to those with a criminal record. The Employment Handbook for Those With a Criminal Record offers help with job searching. More in-depth job search assistance is available from CAREERwise  and Career One Stop.   

Job seekers with a criminal background can reference employee resources to encourage an employer to hire them. The Federal Bonding Program is offered to employers who hire ex-offenders and other hard-to-employ individuals. The individual can be insured at no cost to the employer for up to $5,000. Employers can claim a Work Opportunity Tax Credit if they hire an ex-felon within a year of their release date from a correctional facility or within a year of their conviction date if they did not serve any time. The tax credit allows employers to reduce their federal tax liability by up to $9,600 per new hire.