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Recidivism to Resiliency Initiative.
Reduce USVI recidivism via farming, job training, education and new opportunities over five years
USVI Background.
- 450 inmates.
- 1,000 people on parole.
- Average USVI sentence 57 months.
- 50% recidivism rate.
- 82% of inmates did not graduate high school
Inititive Funding.
- Proposed annual budget $ 50.0 million
- Fund 500 inmate job trainings.
- Fund two 400 acre produce farms.
- Fund 1,000 High school GED graduations.
- Fund 1,000 H.S. trade school graduations.
- Fund 10,000 employer based job incentives.
How To Fund Our Vision!
Objective: Modify two existing IRS codes via legislation.
1. Amend Public Law 117-169.
- Current Law: Inflation Reduction Act.
- Audience: High school dropouts.
- GOAL: Graduate 1,000 HS students annually.
- Annual cost: $ 20.0 million (1,000@$20,000 each).
- Avoided cost: $ 300.0 million (1,000@$300,000 each).
2. Amend Public Law 117-169.
- Current Law: Inflation Reduction Act.
- GOAL: Train 200 inmates for future employment.
- Operations: Produce & Cattle.
- Annual cost: $ 30.0 million (Farming Program).
- Avoided cost: $ TBD.
3. Amend WOTC section 51 (Employer Incentive).
- GOAL: Increase $ 9,000 to $ 25,000 per worker.
- GOAL: Incentivize 1,000 employers to hire inmates.
- Tax incentive: $ 25,000 per employee.
- Annual cost: $ 25.0 million (1,000@$25,000 each).
- Avoided cost: $ 300.0 million (1,000@$300,000 each).
Farming & Education Pilot Project
1. Objective - Agriculture - Food Security.
- Fund and Grow 15 produce products.
- Coffee, vegetables, coconuts, fruits, citrus.
- Training in farming and food production.
- Feed 75% of St. Croix to ensure food security.
- Two 400 acre produce farms.
- One cattle ranch: TBD (Florida Program).
- Program cost: $ 30.0 million annually.
2. Objective - Education - GED and job training.
- Graduate 1,000 high school dropouts per year.
- Training for 1,000 HS graduates per year.
- Fund program cost: $ 20.0 million annually.
Societal Cost of Not Completing High School
Objective: Amend Law 117-169 (Tax Credit Funding).
- Eight times more likely to be arrested than H.S. graduates.
- 82% of inmates have not completed high school.
- Invest $ 10,000 per child in education/training ($ 100.0 million).
- Avoided cost: $ 3.0 billion. (10,000 students not being arrested).
- https://dropoutprevention.org/resources/statistics/quick- facts/economic-impacts-of-dropouts/
Cattle & Goat Ranch's
Objective: Amend Law 117-169 (Tax Credit Funding).
- The United States imports 3.5 billion pounds of beef.
- Imported beef: 5.0 million head annually.
- Import value: $ 25.0 billion annually.
- Cattle type: American Wagyu/Angus.
- 50,000 head per state (FL).
- 150,000 acres per state.
- Products: Beef, produce, honey, other products.
- Goal: Use farming operations for job training.
- Goal: Reduce imports via new cattle operations.
Produce Farm's
- Objective: Amend Law 117-169 (Tax Credit Funding).
- America imports $ 18.3 billion annually.
- Products: Produce, flowers, spices, oils, rice, honey.
- Goal: Use farming operations for job training.
- Acres: 400 acres per farm.
- Location: Two farms (St. Croix & St. Thomas).