Effort to help West Virginians enter workforce after drug recovery

West Virginia Department of Education image.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — An effort to help more West Virginians enter the workforce following drug recovery or incarceration is underway.

Across the state, there are more job openings than people applying. Meanwhile, West Virginia continues to see high numbers of people suffering from drug addiction.

Jacob Green, superintendent of the West Virginia Department of Education’s Schools of Diversion and Transition (WVSDT), told MetroNews most of those individuals need help navigating their options.

“In the state of West Virginia, when they step out of prison, they have 851 potential barriers they have to get to simply because they have a criminal record,” Green said. “That could cause them issue with access to employment, housing, transportation, the list goes on.”

“We know that if we can get someone a job and a living wage, all those other barriers become a little easier,” Green said.

Recent data from the WVDE shows the number of West Virginians incarcerated has grow five-fold over the last 30 years, meaning there will be a lot of people who will eventually re-enter society after serving their time.

“Regional jails are short term, but even prisons with the new early parole there’s a lot more people getting out now than there was five years ago,” Green said.

Many people in the state’s prison system remain unemployed a year after their release.