Question 1: William C. Bannerman Research location
Answer 1:
9255 W SUNSET BLVD STE 400
W Hollywood CA 90069-3302
Question 2: William C. Bannerman Research phone number
Answer 2: 310-273-9933
Question 3: Focus Area
Answer 3:
Reentry Education / Training
Economic Opportunity and Coding Bootcamp
Question 4: Project Name
Answer 4:
Food Insecurity: Economic Mobility and Basic Needs for Pierce County Disadvantaged Populations
Question 5: Amount requested for food insecurity
Answer 5: $15,000
Question 6: Amount requested for reentry education/ training
Answer 6: $40,000
Question 7: Project Overview
Answer 7:
Launched in fall 2021, PSF’s Coding Bootcamp provides full scholarship support, all expenses covered, and a living stipend for justice-involved individuals residing in Washington State to complete Coding Dojo’s Onsite Coding Bootcamp. The Coding Bootcamp is an intensive, full-time program that allows participants to master the fundamental building blocks of web and software development over a rigorous 14-week bootcamp. Since 2013, Coding Dojo has trained over 8,000 graduates using their hands-on, three-stack software development bootcamp. Industry training is combined with career services support, which has resulted in a 95.3% job placement rate with an average starting salary of $72,325 for Coding Dojo alums. After graduation, PSF Scholars are also able to apply for the Microsoft LEAP apprenticeship for 16-weeks of on-the-job training.
Question 8: Brief description of the organization and its mission (Food Insecurity)
Answer 8: The mission of the Prison Scholar Fund (PSF) is to provide education and employment assistance to help incarcerated people succeed and thrive in society while avoiding homelessness and the revolving door of reincarceration. We also advocate for reform in correctional education to increase opportunity for all. Incorporated as a 501(c)(3), IRS-designated nonprofit agency in the State of Washington and governed by a twelve-member Board of Directors comprised of local community professionals and stakeholders, inspired by the reintegration success of its founder and CEO, Dirk van Velzen, who helped obtain over 200 scholarships to inmates who were determined to change their lives through education. Over the past few years, PSF has grown to become one of the largest food distribution organizations in western Washington, along with providing Financial Literacy to support successful reintegration of our system-impacted clients.
Question 9: Brief description of the organization and its mission (Reentry Education/ Training)
Answer 9: The mission of the Prison Scholar Fund (PSF) is to provide education and employment assistance to help incarcerated people succeed and thrive in society while avoiding homelessness and the revolving door of reincarceration. We also advocate for reform in correctional education to increase opportunity for all incarcerated persons..
The PSF was inspired by the reintegration success of its founder and CEO, Dirk van Velzen, who has helped obtain over 200 scholarships for incarcerated men and women who were determined to change their lives through education. Over the past few years, PSF has grown to become one of the largest food distribution organizations in western Washington while also providing Financial Literacy to support successful reintegration of our justice system-impacted clients.
2010 audit note:
CEO van Velzen secured a pro bono audit to validate operations during his time incarcerated. You can learn more about his journey here: bit.ly/PSF_Founder and bit.ly/PSF_DirkVid.
Question 10: How many paid staff members are at PSF?
Answer 10: Prison Scholars Fund currently employs one full time staff member and one part time staff member
Question 11: How many clients does PSF serve annually?
Answer 11: 1,550
Question 12: How many clients does PSF serve annual for the food insecurity project?
Answer 12: 1,500
Question 13: How many clients does PSF serve annual for the reentry education/training project?
Answer 13: There are currently three students enrolled in the program. With additional support, and demonstrated proof of concept in placing graduates in tech employment,the program intends to scale beyond the Coding Bootcamp’s initial initiative to include 5-10 students.
Question 14: How does this proposal benefit the community?
Answer 14: This project creates opportunities for economic self-sufficiency for justice-involved individuals, providing a critical employment pipeline for a population that has historically been systematically excluded from meaningful employment. A lack of employment opportunity is a factor that contributes to recidivism. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 67.8% of released prisoners were rearrested within 3 years of release and 76.6% were rearrested within 5 years. More than half (56.7%) of these rearrests were in the first year after release. In Washington State, the overall 3-year recidivism rate for all people who are incarcerated for 2016 was 33%.
There is, however, an obvious and achievable solution to the revolving door of incarceration that has led the United States to having the dubious distinction of having the world’s largest incarcerated population. Education, and the employment potential that it produces, has been shown to dramatically reduce recidivism. In fact, gainful employment is one of the defining features of successful reentry. A study by the Bureau of Justice Statistics published in December 2021 found that one-third of formerly incarcerated individuals found no employment at all over four years post-release and, at any given time, no more than 40% of the cohort was employed. Formerly incarcerated people had an average of 3.4 jobs throughout the four-year study period, indicating that the jobs they were able to secure offered no security or upward mobility. Moreover, those who were able to secure employment earned far less than the general population.
Education for justice-impacted individuals is a highly cost-effective investment that reduces crime. Research by the Department of Policy Studies at the University of California at Los Angeles concluded that education is almost twice as cost effective as incarceration. Additional research conducted by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) found significant benefits to re-entry programs. Notably, WSIPP found that for every $1 invested in a correctional post-secondary education program, the state saved $19.74 in costs. Education and re-entry programs also have significant, positive intergenerational effects, benefitting both the communities and children of justice-involved people.
Question 15: How will the funds be used for the Food Insecurity Capital Investment project?
Answer 15: Funds will be used to purchase a new Ford F-350 with tow capabilities to haul a trailer of 5,000 lbs. or heavier. This new vehicle will be used expressly for food distribution, powering food supplies to Pierce County nonprofit distributor organizations and delivering directly to individuals and families at select mobile food bank locations. PSF will use the truck for years to continue to address food insecurity in Pierce County by providing unparalleled access to fresh and local produce, dairy, and culturally-accessible foods with year-round food distribution into geographically accessible access points for BIPOC individuals.
[Final version] Funds will be used to purchase a new Ford F-350 with tow capabilities to haul a trailer rated for 5,000 lbs. or heavier. This new vehicle will be used expressly for delivery of fresh and local produce, dairy, and culturally-accessible foods to partner organizations in Pierce County (see list below) as well as direct deliveries to individuals and families via geographically accessible mobile food bank locations. We estimate the cost of the truck at $78,000 and the trailer at $11,000.
Question 16: How will the funds be used for the Reentry Education/ Training program?
Answer 16: This funding request will provide direct support to justice-involved participants in the Coding Bootcamp Program in the form of a monthly living stipend ($2,400/month) and access to a laptop ($900). Through a community partnership with Coding Dojo, they have agreed to cover the cost of tuition ($15,000/student).
Funding permitted, PSF would also like to hire a part-time employment liaison to develop industry relationships to further foster employment opportunities for PSF scholars who have successfully completed the Coding Bootcamp Program.
Question 17: Total budget for proposal
Answer 17: $89,000
Question 18: Total annual budget for organization
Answer 18: $1,211,089
Question 19: Other current sources of funding for this proposal
Answer 19:
PSF currently is working on or has proposals pending with:
- Emergency Food and Shelter Program ($80,000)
- Murdock Charitable Trust ($32,000)
- Puyallup Tribe Gaming Charity Trust Board (Q4: $20,000)
- Medina Foundation ($20,000)
- Myers Foundation ($15,000)
- Muckleshoot Casinos ($10,000)
- Tulalip Cares ($5,000)
- Emergency Food Network ($250,000)
- Food Lifeline ($200,000)
- Northwest Harvest ($40,000)
- Amazon Fresh ($200,000)
- Expedia ($90,000)
- GoPuff ($100,000)
Question 20: Current Community Partnerships
Answer 20:
-
Multicultural Child And Family Hope Center – MCFHC
- Tacoma Rescue Mission
- Tillicum-American Lake Gardens Community Center
- Pioneer Human Services
- Tiny House Villages
- Asia Pacific Cultural Center
Question 21: Timetable for use of funds
Question 22:
- Food Insecurity: Upon award of funds, PSF will go into the market for the truck and trailer. Due to general supply chain challenges among automobile manufacturers, delivery of this vehicle will probably not occur until mid- to late-2022. Once the truck and trailer are secured, PSF will begin immediate use
- Reentry Education/ Training: The requested funding will be used over the next fiscal year to expand participation and support for the Coding Bootcamp Program.
Question 22: How will the success of this project be measured and evaluated?
Answer 22: Acquisition of reliable equipment will ensure continued consistent, uninterrupted service to justice system-impacted individuals and families in Pierce County and across the PSF service area (over 500 people in Pierce County are counted among the 1,500 people served in Western Washington).. We will measure success through the improved efficiency of food delivery activities and by achieving a zero-days lapse in service as well as an at least 90 percent reduction in overhead expenses in repairing and maintaining substandard equipment. The success of the Coding Bootcamp Project will be assessed based on the completion and employment rate of participants.
Question 23: Additional Information and Media
Answer 23:
Reentry Education / Training