PRISON REFORM

Written By Dejuan Verrett

Prison Reform

INVEST is a program launched by LA County Workforce Development, Aging and Community Services (WDACS) and Probation Department, in collaboration with the County Office of Diversion and Re-Entry (ODR), to create employment opportunities for Adult Probationers in L.A. County. The program coordinates Probation supervision programs with the WDACS' workforce development system to provide training and support that will help Probationers enter into the workforce on a meaningful career path.

BACKGROUND:

Workforce Development, Aging and Community Services (WDACS) and County of Los Angeles Probation Department (Probation), in collaboration with the County Office of Diversion and Re-Entry (ODR) and the California Employment Development Department (EDD), have launched the INVEST program to create employment opportunities for Adult Probationers in L.A. County. This program coordinates Probation supervision programs with the WDACS’ workforce development system to provide training and support that will help Probationers enter into the workforce on a meaningful career path.

To maximize the opportunity for collaborative case management and to enhance cohesion between both agencies, Deputy Probation Officers (DPOs) are co-located at five comprehensive L.A. County America’s Job Centers of California (AJCCs). These INVEST DPOs, AJCC INVEST Career Development Specialists and AJCC INVEST Business Services Representatives are trained in an evidence-based training program created by the National Institute of Corrections to become Offender Workforce Development Specialists (OWDS). This program has equipped staff from both departments with the tools necessary to help facilitate the employment of those reentering the community from a background with involvement in the justice system.

PROGRAM FEATURES:

Services for those enrolled in the INVEST Program include, but are not limited to the following:

  •   Basic or Individualized Career Services

  •   Training Services

  •   Follow-up and Retention Services

  •   Supportive Services

  •   Business and Employer Services

    PARTICIPATING AJCCs:

  •   Antelope Valley Comprehensive AJCC

  •   Palmdale AJCC (Affiliate to Antelope Valley Comprehensive AJCC)

  •   East Los Angeles/West San Gabriel Valley Comprehensive AJCC

  •   Northeast San Fernando Valley AJCC

  •   Rio Hondo Comprehensive AJCC

  •   Rancho Dominguez Comprehensive AJCC

  •   South Los Angeles AJCC

Dejuan Verrett

DeJuan “DJ” Verrett is the Founder and Executive Director of Urban Community Action Network (UCAN), a Los Angeles–based nonprofit dedicated to reentry support, housing stability, and community empowerment. After spending 17 years incarcerated, DJ transformed his lived experience into a mission-driven career focused on breaking cycles of incarceration, homelessness, and poverty. Under his leadership, UCAN delivers trauma-informed, wraparound services—including employment readiness, life skills, substance use support, and violence prevention—while maintaining a strong “boots-on-the-ground” presence in South Los Angeles and Skid Row. DJ is also a speaker, author, and media contributor whose work bridges advocacy, storytelling, and practical solutions to create lasting community impact.

https://www.ucanla.org
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