Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development

Missouri’s first Reentry Job Center opened today inside the Tipton Correctional Center. The Job Center will equip offenders with the skills and tools they’ll need to reenter the workforce. The transition services were showcased today, Dec. 13 with a ribbon cutting and open house.  

The first of its kind in Missouri, the new Reentry Center operates inside a Missouri state prison and offers a wide variety of services to assist offenders in the final year of their prison sentences as they prepare to reenter the workforce.

“We know the majority of these individuals will move back into our communities,” Zora Mulligan, Commissioner of Higher Education said. “We hope that by offering job services before they’re released, we are setting them up for success and reducing risk and recidivism.”

According the Department of Corrections, about 96 percent of offenders who enter state prisons are ultimately released. Programs offered inside the Tipton Correctional Center will include job search activities, resume creation, training research, social service registration, and interviews with potential employers.

The new center is a joint venture between the Missouri Department of Corrections, Central Workforce Development Board, Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development, and Department of Social Services.

About the Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development: The department works to empower Missourians with the skills and education needed for success. More information about MDHEWD can be found at https://dhewd.mo.gov or on Facebook and Twitter @MoDHEWD.