I would like to invite Maryland businesses to this event: "Beyond The Bars, A Symposium on Reentry in Maryland” at the University of Maryland School of Law on May 20, 2008. If your company has been considering getting in the game of hiring ex-offenders -- with the idea that, hey, it might help slow the revolving doors on our costly Maryland prisons -- then you might want to get more information about the whole re-entry scene. Owners of businesses, human resources executives -- you, more than anyone, need to know about this.

Otherwise, these forums become just more preaching to the choir.

Each year, the Maryland State Bar Association's Leadership Academy creates a public service project. This year, it's “Beyond the Bars." They want to bring together and educate people, including employers, about reentry services for inmates returning to communities across the state.  I'll be there, as will several government and community representatives. Seating is limited, so you need to RSVP. 

The Leadership Academy Fellows are partnering with the University of Maryland's Center for Substance Abuse Research for a database of public and private statewide resources and programs available for ex-offenders. The information will be available on their website at www.mdcsl.org, which will be highlighted at the Symposium as well.

"Our research shows that Maryland's recidivism rate remains at more than 50 percent," says Tracy L. Steedman, organizer of the event. "By raising awareness of the resources currently available to re-entering individuals regarding opportunities for vocational training, employment and substance abuse treatment, the Leadership Academy Fellows hope that their efforts will aid in decreasing the rates of recidivism."

For more information, go to www.beyhondthebarsmd.org

Or contact organizers at info@beyondthebarsmd.org.  If you plan to attend, RSVP today.