(Washington, DC) For several weeks, Congressman John Yarmuth (KY-3) has been working to breathe new life into the Incarcerated Veterans Transitional Program (IVTP), which—despite tremendous success at helping veterans avoid homelessness and crime—was eliminated from the Department of Labor budget.  Today, Congressman Yarmuth announced that the work paid off.  A provision he sought was included in yesterday’s minimum wage and disaster assistance bill and will restore the program’s funding through the end of the fiscal year.  This will allow time to create legislation to fund and expand the program long term.  The bill passed the House and Senate and is expected to be signed by the President in the coming days.

“All of us at Volunteers of America appreciate Congressman Yarmuth’s support of our veterans,” said Jane W. Burks, President/CEO of Volunteers of America.  “Volunteers of America’s Incarcerated Veterans Transition Program is a critical service in our state and we are so grateful for the Congressman’s advocacy and support of this program.  As the Memorial Day weekend approaches, we are especially proud to serve those who have risked their lives for our country.”

“This is a program that both saves taxpayer money and provides for the men and women who have served our country so bravely,” Yarmuth said.  “It made no sense to kill a program with such an exemplary track record and, with hundreds of Kentucky veterans depending on these services, I am very happy that we were able to restore it.”

IVTP is a pilot program that pairs convicted veterans, who have served their time, with other veterans to help ease their transition back into society.  In the three years since its 2004 inception, the program cut recidivism by 90 percent among participants, at a savings of $1.6 million each year.  Despite these accomplishments, and a relatively modest $1.75 million budget, the Department of Labor discontinued funding after June 30th. 

In Kentucky, Volunteers of America spends between $700 and $1,200 to help each participant find housing, jobs, and training.  By contrast, Kentucky spends about $18,000 to keep an adult in prison each year.  Only seven percent of participants in the Kentucky program return to prison, well below the national average of nearly 60. 

IVTP’s resurgence caps a big week for Yarmuth, who helped Congress pass the largest Veterans’ healthcare budget increase in U.S. history and send the much anticipated minimum wage increase to the President for his signature.

Last month, Yarmuth sent the following letter to the Appropriations Committee calling on the funding to be restored.

• Of the 166 veterans participating in the program only 12 veterans returned to a correctional institution, a recidivism rate of 7 percent. According to the state average rate of recidivism (an alarming 57 percent), without this program up to 166 individuals would have re-offended and returned to a correctional institution at a financial cost of at least $17,000 per year per veteran, which translates to $1.6 million per year. 
• Of the 166 veterans who engaged in the program, 99 percent of them were moved into permanent housing and 72 percent became gainfully employed at an average wage of $8.80 per hour (or $18,304 per annum).  In Kentucky, this level of income allows a veteran to pay market rate for a one-bedroom apartment with less than 30 percent of gross salary.  The aggregate annual wages of the veterans assisted by the IVTP program is more the $ 2.1 Million.