Multi-Agency Road To Work: Ohio's Re-Entry Employment Program

The purpose of this RFP is to solicit Proposals for the Road to Work: Ohio’s Re-Entry Employment Program. The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correct (ODRC) consists of 25 state-administered adult correctional institutions and three privately-operated institutions. The current ODRC population is approximately 44,900. The institutions vary in level of security and include corrections reception centers, correctional camps, and pre-release centers. The mission of the ODRC is to reduce recidivism. The values of the ODRC are aligned to support its mission: (1) Take care of our staff; they will transform our offenders; (2) One team-one purpose; (3) Civility towards all; and (4) Hope is job one.

The ODRC Division of Parole and Community Service Adult Parole Authority (APA) is responsible for releasing and supervising adult felony supervisees returning to local communities from prison, assisting Ohio Courts of Common Pleas in supervising these individuals placed on supervision in local communities and supervising individuals that transfer to Ohio from other states pursuant to the Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision.

The APA, created in 1965, is comprised of the Parole Board and Field Services and is responsible for duties addresses in Chapter 5149 of the Ohio Revised Code. The APA typically supervises an ethnically and socioeconomically diverse population of between 22,000 and 27,000 supervisees residing in both urban and rural settings. As a result, APA staff members are deployed throughout six ODRC Field Operations Regions, which are separated into district and satellite offices.

ODRC releases approximately 18,000 inmates each year from the 28 institutions located throughout Ohio. One of the major hurdles to inmates’ successful re-entry into the community is finding employment due to the stigma of a criminal record, limited work histories, low education and skill levels, along with physical and mental health problems.

Employment support and placement services can substantially contribute to the success of a re-entry strategy that aims to reduce recidivism for released inmates.  Many of these individuals also lack requirements for successful employment such as necessary identification documents, access to transportation, and childcare for dependent children. Without assistance to make a successful transition, many formerly incarcerated individuals return to criminal activity. Employment post-incarceration provides stability and represents a means to reduce recidivism.  To successfully reintegrate into the community, it is essential that formerly incarcerated individuals acquire the skills necessary to compete for jobs in the local labor market.

In an effort to address this issue, the State is seeking to form work crews composed of individuals on parole or post-release control supervision (Participants), in the Road to Work: Ohio’s Re-Entry Employment Program (the Program). The ODRC APA Program Administrator will refer the Participants to the Contractor for work crews used by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT).

The Agency expects the Program to prepare Participants for and assist them in obtaining gainful employment.  The Program’s primary goal is to place Participants in sustainable paid employment.  To achieve its goal, the Program will provide essential barrier removal support, such as basic education (reading, writing, and math), GED preparation and acquisition, training in vocation and/or trades work, continuing education for appropriate candidates, acquisition of identification, housing and transportation.  Upon the successful completion of the Program, Participants should be prepared to obtain gainful employment, either full or part-time.

The State will hold a virtual pre-Proposal conference on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, at 11:00 am Columbus, Ohio local time. The purpose of this conference is to discuss the RFP and the Work with prospective Offerors and to allow them to ask questions arising from their initial review of this RFP.

The conference will be held as a Microsoft Teams meeting. The names and email addresses for all attendees must be emailed to brad.ratliff@das.ohio.gov by 3:00 p.m. Columbus, Ohio local time on Tuesday, October 14, 2025. A Microsoft Teams meeting invite, including a phone number option, will be sent by end of day on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, to all identified attendees. Attendance will be taken promptly at 11:00am Columbus, Ohio local time.

Attendance at the pre-Proposal conference is not a prerequisite to submitting a Proposal.

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