Media Advisory:
Making the Transition from Defendants to Job-Holders:
Baltimore City District Court Re-Entry Project
Celebrates Graduates

Jameel McClain, former Baltimore Ravens linebacker and 2012 Super Bowl team member,
will be keynote speaker

(BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – November 27, 2017) The Baltimore City District Court will recognize the efforts of approximately 20 ex-offenders, each of whom have been connected to employment though the District Court Re-Entry Project (DCREP), during the program’s third graduation on Tuesday, December 5.  Baltimore City Circuit Judge Nicole Pastore-Klein will preside over the graduation event at noon in Courtroom 1 of the Borgerding District Court Building in Baltimore.  The media are invited to attend.

The keynote speaker will be Jameel McClain, former Baltimore Ravens linebacker for the 2012 Super Bowl team, who now serves as the Ravens’ Assistant Director of Player Engagement.

The DCREP is a court-focused program that offers criminal case defendants a chance to participate in job training as a condition of probation.  A judge refers the participating defendant to a suitable job training organization, and if the defendant successfully completes the organization’s requirements, the defendant receives an agreed-upon incentive.  For example, a judge may convert a supervised probation sentence to an unsupervised probation, or even end the defendant’s probation early, according to the initial agreement.  In addition, defendants who may have been sentenced to a minimal amount of jail time may have the chance to participate in this program in lieu of jail time.  The DCREP has expanded to include pre-trial services, which allow defendants awaiting trial the opportunity to acquire new skills and gain employment.

Currently, 13 organizations participate in the DCREP program.  They focus on preparing ex-offenders for the workforce and include job placement assistance.  The training periods range from two weeks to one year and prepare candidates for jobs in a variety of fields, including renewable energy installation, automotive repair, construction, catering, hospitality services, environmental cleaning and greening, warehouse work, office operations, and maritime transportation.

Judge Pastore-Klein began the DCREP after observing that many ex-offenders had difficulty connecting to employment opportunities after incarceration or as a result of having a criminal record.  She coordinated an effort to engage existing programs in Baltimore and launched the program in September 2016 for the Baltimore City District Court. 

EVENT DETAILS

WHAT:
Baltimore City District Court Re-Entry Project’s (DCREP) third graduation ceremony

WHEN:
Tuesday, December 5, 2017 
12 p.m.

WHO:
Baltimore City District Judge Nicole Pastore-Klein, presiding
Keynote Speaker:
Jameel McClain, former Baltimore Ravens linebacker for the 2012 Super Bowl team, who now serves as the Ravens’ Assistant Director of Player Engagement

WHERE:
Baltimore City District Court
Courtroom 1, Borgerding District Court Building,
5800 Wabash Avenue
Baltimore, Maryland 21215

MEDIA CONTACT:
Media are invited to attend.  Please call the Maryland Judiciary Division of Government Relations and Public Affairs, 410-260-1488, if you would like to attend or have questions.  The use of cameras must be approved in advance, and all persons being photographed should be asked for their consent to be photographed.

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