Fox and Market watch cover the same story, something worth noting:

[The Straight Story]

FOX

Labor Department offers $20M in grants for released prisoners seeking work


NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor is offering more than $20 million in grants to organizations that will help former prisoners find work.

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis made the announcement in Newport News on Thursday, saying those who have served their time deserve a second chance to make a positive contribution to society. About 700,000 inmates are released from state and federal prisons each year.

Nationwide, the Labor Department expects to award 17 grants worth about $1.21 million each as part of the program.

The grants will target organizations in high-poverty, high-crime communities.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/01/12/labor-department-offers-20m-in-grants-for-released-prisoners-seeking-work/

Market Watch

Secretary of labor announces grant competition to help former offenders gain career skills and rejoin community life

NEWPORT NEWS, Va., Jan. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced the availability of $20.6 million in grant funds to assist adult former offenders who are returning to their communities after serving time in justice facilities. The U.S. Department of Labor expects to award 17 grants of approximately $1.21 million each to organizations that will provide these individuals with employment-focused services and support.

"By supporting these employment training programs, we are fulfilling a core promise of our justice system: Those who do wrong and serve their time deserve a second chance to make a positive contribution to their families and their communities," said Secretary Solis. "Ultimately, these investments are turning 'tax takers' into 'tax payers,' and helping to relieve a major economic strain on state and local budgets, while also helping individuals get back on their feet and enhancing community stability."

Grantees will provide job training and employment preparation assistance, mentoring and connections to support services such as housing, substance abuse programs and mental health treatment. These grants represent the fifth generation of the Reintegration of Ex-Offenders-Adult Program, which previously was called the Prisoner Re-entry Initiative.

Eligible applicants for the grants include nonprofit organizations that are located in or have existing staff in the high-poverty, high-crime communities they propose to serve. Program participants will be individuals ages 18 and older who have been convicted of crimes as adults under federal or state law, but never of a sex-related offense, with the exception of prostitution. Complete eligibility criteria are included in the solicitation for grant applications.

...

These grants represent the fifth generation of the Reintegration of Ex-Offenders-Adult Program, which previously was called the Prisoner Re-entry Initiative.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/secretary-of-labor-announces-grant-competition-to-help-former-offenders-gain-career-skills-and-rejoin-community-life-2012-01-12

This program was launched in 2003 (and had $25 million in funds available). You would think a 'news' organization might make mention of the who/what/why/when/where kind of things that might be relevant to the story.

The headlines are rather telling as well.

[annabanana]

1. A News organization might indeed. . . . . . .n/t

[JDPriestly]

2. Great. Now when will they launch a program to employ college grads who can't get work?