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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: (202) 219-6871.
Labor Secretary Robert Reich announced today a tough new
Job Corps code of conduct featuring a "one strike and you're out" provision.
Under this new policy, any Job Corps student who commits a single act of
violence or uses drugs will automatically be expelled.
The new code of conduct was jointly developed by the Labor
Department and Senator Nancy Kassebaum (R-Kan.), who heads the Senate Labor and
Human Resources Committee. The policy is effective immediately.
"Job Corps offers a second chance to some of America's most
disadvantaged young people who are ready to take personal respon- sibility for
turning around their lives," Reich said. "However, our violence and drug policy
is clear -- one strike and you're out. We must demand an environment that is
safe and secure."
Under the new policy, all Job Corps entrants will be told
that they must be drug free as a condition of enrollment and that acts of
violence or other criminal behavior will result in automatic expulsion. The
"one strike and you're out" provision for serious offenses--such as possession
of a gun or weapon, robbery or extortion, arson, any arrest for a felony on or
off center grounds, as well as possession, sale or use of any illegal
drugs--will be strictly enforced.
Reviews of Job Corps centers since June 1994 showed uneven
implementation of the old policy which provided a framework for dealing with
drugs and violence but didn't spell out the consequences. This new code of
conduct clarifies and strengthens the penalties for Job Corps members who fail
to live up to the code.
The Secretary also noted that the latest performance
figures for the last six months of 1994 show that nearly three of every four
young people leaving Job Corps over the past six months either entered
unsubsidized employment or went on to full-time education.
"The principal reason we're constantly seeking to improve
Job Corps is that it works," Reich said. "Our commitment is to continuously
improve the program."
Job Corps is the nation's most comprehensive residential
education and training program for disadvantaged youth between the ages of 16
and 24. Each year, the program prepares nearly 65,000 youth at 111 centers in
46 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia for productive
employment.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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