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Taking a Deep Dive into RAND Research

NNPA NEWSWIRE — RAND’s study of the Sacramento Probation Department’s Career Training Partnership (CTP) program suggests that hiring ex-offenders from career training programs, like ours, can save employers time and resources because the employer does not have to invest in training and vetting. I agree. We are successful in getting ex-offenders hired because they are prepared based upon employers’ specific needs, such as construction and truck driving.
The post Taking a Deep Dive into RAND Research first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 years ago

September 29, 2022

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By Jon Ponder

In some circles, I’m considered “undereducated.” That’s why as the person in charge of all aspects of a prison reform program, given my non-traditional path to the position, I’m curious about how we are doing, according to the experts. In my capacity, I receive quite a bit of research. Ultimately, I was drawn to the RAND Corporation, a pre-eminent research institution. In reviewing some of their key findings, here’s what I learned.

RAND’s study of the Sacramento Probation Department’s Career Training Partnership (CTP) program suggests that hiring ex-offenders from career training programs, like ours, can save employers time and resources because the employer does not have to invest in training and vetting. I agree. We are successful in getting ex-offenders hired because they are prepared based upon employers’ specific needs, such as construction and truck driving.

In fact, in our experience, employers are not “unwilling” to hire ex-cons. What they’re unwilling to do is hire “projects,” so it’s important for ex-offenders to get training, which most don’t have— neither vocational nor educational. Our ex-offenders receive ready-to-work training. This aligns with RAND findings that employers who hired participants from CTP typically had fewer concerns about the job readiness of the probationers.

A related RAND study says most surveyed employers would consider hiring a non-violent felon for an entry-level job based on tax credit incentives. At HFP, we have found that in addition to job readiness, tax incentives are key for our employer partners because they provide a sense of assurance. Some incentives offer up to 90 percent reimbursement for this training. Other incentives might include Federal Bonding Programs for damage or stealing.

For ex-offenders, securing employment at a living wage is one of the most significant challenges they face, which again, aligns with RAND’s findings. The training we provide and the employers we partner with are focused on jobs that offer above the minimum wage, which helps ex-offenders get their lives in order. This could include working to help get child support arrears either erased or minimized or covering court costs and restitution obligations. In addition to employment, we address the need for transportation, housing, and family reunification. We provide boots, tools, a commercial driver’s license (if necessary) and proper ID, testing mentors and other work essentials when needed.

RAND also found that employers prefer working with staffing agencies that guarantee replacement workers when initial candidates are not a good fit. In our case, if one of our people fails to work out, we ask employers not to fire that hire, but to allow us the opportunity to help give them what they need to overcome any shortcomings.

The research suggests that there’s often positive results when probation officers, training programs, and employers work together to help ex-offenders. I agree. By including the PO at the table, we can help foster a collaborative and supportive relationship between the PO and the trainee in a more relaxed environment.

In conclusion, upon review of the RAND findings, I am reassured that here at “Hope for Prisoners” we must be doing something right. But don’t take my word for it. Look at the research. Ask the experts.

Jon Ponder is a three-time convicted bank robber who spent five years in prison. After his release in 2009, he founded the “Hope for Prisoners” program in Nevada which helps former prisoners successfully reintegrate into society. Because of the vital work he provides to the community, his current criminal status is “Pardoned.”

The post Taking a Deep Dive into RAND Research first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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LIVE from the NMA Convention Raheem DeVaughn Says The Time Is Now: Let’s End HIV in Our Communities #2

Set against the backdrop of the NMA conference, Executive Officers from the National Medical Association, Grammy Award Winning Artist and Advocate Raheem DeVaughn, and Gilead Sciences experts, are holding today an important conversation on HIV prevention and health equity. Black women continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV despite advances in prevention options. Today’s event […]

Published

7 days ago

February 3, 2026

Oakland Post

Black women continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV despite advances in prevention options. Today’s event is designed to uplift voices, explore barriers to access, and increase awareness and key updates about PrEP, a proven prevention method that remains underutilized among Black women. This timely gathering will feature voices from across health, media, and advocacy as we break stigma and center equity in HIV prevention.

Additional stats and information to know:

● Black women continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV, with Black women representing more than 50% of new HIV diagnoses among women in the U.S. in 2022, despite comprising just 13% of women in the U.S.

● Women made up only 8% of PrEP users despite representing 19% of all new HIV diagnoses in 2022.

● Gilead Sciences is increasing awareness and addressing stigma by encouraging regular HIV testing and having judgment-free conversations with your healthcare provider about prevention options, including oral PrEP and long-acting injectable PrEP options.

● PrEP is an HIV prevention medication that has been available since 2012.

● Only 1 in 3 people in the U.S. who could benefit from PrEP were prescribed a form of PrEP in 2022.

Oakland Post

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TRUMP: “Washington, D.C. is Safe”

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — President Trump, who typically travels with a full contingent of high-level protection, insinuated that he finally felt safe enough to go to dinner in the District of Columbia. “My wife and I went out to dinner last night for the first time in four years,” said the nation’s 47th president.

Published

7 days ago

February 3, 2026

Oakland Post

By Apriil Ryan
BlackPressUSA Washington Bureau Chief and White House Correspondent

“Washington, D.C. is safe,” President Trump declared from the Oval Office today. Those words came while Trump was hosting Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. During the question-and-answer session, which primarily focused on a peace deal in the Russian-Ukrainian war, Trump explained, “You did that in four days.” He was speaking of how fast the National Guard quelled the violence in what was once called Chocolate City.

The President deployed the National Guard to D.C. a week ago, to a city with reduced crime rates over the previous year. Violent crime dropped by 26%, marking the lowest level in 30 years. Homicides also fell by 11%.

President Trump, who typically travels with a full contingent of high-level protection, insinuated that he finally felt safe enough to go to dinner in the District of Columbia. “My wife and I went out to dinner last night for the first time in four years,” said the nation’s 47th president.

Trump reinforced his claim about the newly acquired safety in D.C. by relaying that a friend’s son is attending dinner in D.C., something he would not have done last year.

After the president finished his comments, a reporter/commentator in the room with close connections to Marjorie Taylor Greene jumped into the high-level conversation to affirm the president’s comments, saying, “I walked around yesterday with MTG. If you can walk around D.C. with MTG and not be attacked, this city is safe.”

That reporter was the same person who chastised President Zelenskyy months ago during his first Oval Office meeting with Trump for not wearing a business suit. Zelenskyy, a wartime President, has been clad in less formal attire to reflect the country’s current war stance against Russia.

Without any sourcing, President Trump also said, “People that haven’t gone out to dinner in Washington, D.C., in two years are going out to dinner, and the restaurants the last two days have been busier than they’ve been in a long time.”

The increase in policing in Washington, D.C. is because a 19-year-old former Doge employee was carjacked in the early hours of the morning recently.

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Rising Energy Costs Weigh Heaviest on Black Households

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — For many African American families, the cost of keeping the lights on and homes heated or cooled is not just a monthly bill — it’s a crushing financial burden.

Published

7 days ago

February 3, 2026

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

For many African American families, the cost of keeping the lights on and homes heated or cooled is not just a monthly bill — it’s a crushing financial burden.

A new national study from Binghamton University and California State University, San Bernardino, finds that Black households spend a far larger share of their income on energy compared to white households, even when income levels are the same. “We often say that African Americans suffer more, but we often blame it just on income. And the reality is, there is something more there,” study author George Homsy, associate professor at Binghamton University, wrote. “It’s not just because they tend to be poor. There is something that’s putting them at a disadvantage. I think what happened is it happens to be where they live.” The study, published in Energy Research & Social Science, analyzed 65,000 census tracts across the United States. It found that while the average American household spends about 3.2% of income on energy bills, households in the majority African American census tracts spend an average of 5.1%.

Homsy and researcher Ki Eun Kang point to the age and condition of housing stock, along with lower homeownership rates, as key drivers. Their research concludes that “energy burden is not simply a matter of income or energy cost but also race, which might be driven by place.” Older, less energy-efficient housing and high rental rates in Black communities mean residents often cannot make upgrades like improved insulation or new appliances, locking families into higher bills.

Tradeoffs and Health Risks

The consequences go beyond money. Families forced to spend 10% or more of their income on energy — what experts classify as “unmanageable” — may cut back on food, medicine, or other essentials. More than 12 million U.S. households report leaving their homes at unsafe temperatures to reduce costs, while millions more fall behind on utility bills. The health effects are severe. High energy burdens increase risks of asthma, depression, poor sleep, pneumonia, and even premature death. The issue is especially acute for African Americans, who are disproportionately exposed to housing and environmental conditions that amplify these risks.

Washington, D.C.: A Case Study

In Washington, D.C., the problem is particularly stark. A recent analysis by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) shows that SNAP-eligible households spend more than 20% of their income on energy bills. Across the metro area, nearly two-thirds of low-income households devote over 6% of their income to energy, and 40% face what researchers call a “severe financial strain,” paying more than 10%. Pepco, the District’s primary electricity provider, has implemented three consecutive annual rate hikes, pushing the average household bill to $114 per month as of January 2025. Shutoffs have followed — nearly 12,000 customers lost service in 2024, with disconnections doubling after a summer rate hike. Washington Gas has also sought a 12% rate increase and pushed a controversial $215 million pipeline replacement project, rebranded as “District SAFE.” The plan could ultimately cost D.C. households an additional $45,000 each over several decades, or nearly $1,000 annually added to bills.

Historical Roots

Researchers argue that these inequities are not accidental but rooted in history. The ScienceDirect study reveals that African American communities living in formerly redlined neighborhoods continue to face disadvantages today — from poor housing quality to higher climate risks. Homsy says policymakers must make targeted efforts. “It is harder to get to rental units where a lot of poor people live,” he noted. “We need to work harder to get into these communities of color.”