EX-OFFENDER PROGRAM

Jacksonville Ordinance Code tit. V, ch. 126, pt. 5

in effect

Jacksonville Ordinance Code § 126.501 Statement of policy.

Sec. 126.501. - Statement of policy. It is the policy of the City of Jacksonville that the rehabilitation of ex-offenders is an essential component in a community fight against criminal activity; the hiring of ex-offenders into fair paying jobs helps restore the economic stability of ex-offenders, perpetuates their rehabilitation, reduces recidivism and contributes to a community crime free environment; providing consideration and opportunities to ex-offenders with companies doing business with the City of Jacksonville can be accomplished without compromising the security of the businesses, or the City and its citizens, and without unnecessarily depriving others of opportunities; and that the City of Jacksonville should take a leading role in the rehabilitation of ex-offenders, and has done so through the City's third-party service provider ex-offender re-entry programs that provide job training and/or job placement services to Ex-Offenders. (Ord. 2023-20-E, § 3)

Jacksonville Ordinance Code § 126.502 Definitions.

Sec. 126.502. - Definitions. As used in this Part: City Ex-Offender Program Providers shall collectively mean the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Jacksonville Re-Entry Center and any entity under contract with the City to provide job training and/or job placement services to Ex-Offenders. Contractor for purposes of this Section only shall mean a person or entity awarded a City contract in the amount of $200,000 or greater. Ex-Offender means a person who has pled guilty, no contest or nolo contendere to a felony offense; or has been found guilty of a felony offense by a judge or jury; regardless of adjudication of guilt. Ex-Offender Program Provider shall mean the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Jacksonville Re-Entry Center, any entity under contract with the City to provide job training and/or job placement services to Ex-Offenders, or any other entity that specializes in job training and/or job placement services for Ex-Offenders. (Ord. 2023-20-E, § 3)

Jacksonville Ordinance Code § 126.503 Contracting requirements for businesses contracting with the City of Jacksonville.

Sec. 126.503. - Contracting requirements for businesses contracting with the City of Jacksonville. No contract in an amount of $200,000 or greater for construction, remediation, or capital improvements shall be awarded unless the contractor agrees in writing on a bid form provided by the City (the "Form 4A") to do the following (collectively, the "Form 4A Requirements"): (a) Identify potential job opportunities under the project that may be available for Ex-Offenders after contract award; (b) Consider for job placement after contract award at least one otherwise qualified Ex-Offender, to the extent a job opportunity is available under the project and an otherwise qualified Ex-Offender has applied for such job; (c) Execute a notarized compliance tally report ("Compliance Report") at the time of submission of progress payment(s) on such contractor's employment practices and experience during the project with respect to the hiring of Ex-Offenders that includes the following information: (1) The number of Ex-Offenders hired and currently working, or an explanation as to why no Ex-Offenders have been hired; (2) The number of Ex-Offenders interviewed for employment under the project; (3) An explanation as to why any Ex-Offender who applied for employment was refused employment; (4) Whether the contractor maintains an employment policy that Ex-Offenders will be given full and fair consideration in employment; (5) Whether the contractor indicates on recruitment literature that Ex-Offenders will be given full and fair consideration in employment by the contractor; (6) Whether a job opening under the project was available during the reporting period; and (7) A statement from the contractor that the contractor has contacted an Ex-Offender Program Provider no later than 30 days after the issuance of a notice to proceed under the project to obtain information regarding available Ex-Offenders for employment; and (d) Assist the City in addressing the goal of securing employment for Ex-Offenders by complying with the City's Procurement Rules Regarding Ex-Offenders, as may be amended. (Ord. 2023-20-E, § 3)

Jacksonville Ordinance Code § 126.504 Compliance; exemption.

Sec. 126.504. - Compliance; exemption. To the extent permitted by applicable state or federal law, if a contractor fails to comply with the Form 4A Requirements, the City may withhold payments due under the contract until such contractor has complied with the same. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a contractor hires an Ex-Offender during the project and indicates the same on the Compliance Report, upon providing the City with satisfactory evidence of the hire, such contractor shall be exempt from performing the Form 4A Requirements for the remainder of the project term. For purposes of this subsection, "satisfactory evidence" shall include, without limitation, the contractor's payroll information and other information obtained from the Florida Department of Corrections website. The contractor shall include such satisfactory evidence of the Ex-Offender hire with the Compliance Report. (Ord. 2023-20-E, § 3)

Jacksonville Ordinance Code § 126.505 Webpage information.

Sec. 126.505. - Webpage information. The Chief shall list the address and contact information of the City Ex-Offender Program Providers on the City's Procurement Division webpage. To the extent permitted, the City may request the City Ex-Offender Program Providers to compile a listing of available Ex-Offenders for employment by skillset and provide contractors with such listing upon request. The Chief shall also provide the City Ex-Offender Program Providers with the winning bidder's contact information for each approved construction, remediation, or capital improvement project award letter in an amount of $200,000 or greater. (Ord. 2023-20-E, § 3)

Jacksonville Ordinance Code § 126.506 Reporting.

Sec. 126.506. - Reporting. The Chief shall provide an annual report to the Mayor, the City Council, and the Jacksonville Journey Forward no later than December 31 of each fiscal year for the previous fiscal year on the information provided by contractors on the Compliance Report pursuant to this Section. Such annual reports shall at a minimum include information and data regarding the number of: (a) Ex-offenders hired by contractors pursuant to this Section; (b) Ex-offenders interviewed by contractors; (c) Ex-offenders who applied for employment with a contractor and were denied employment; (d) Contractors that maintained an employment policy providing that Ex-Offenders will be given full and fair consideration in employment; (e) Contractors that have indicated on recruitment literature that Ex-Offenders will be given full and fair consideration in employment by the contractor; (f) Contractors that reported no job opening and no hiring during the project; (g) Contractors that contacted Ex-Offender Program Providers; (h) Contracts awarded to contractors for construction, remediation or capital improvement projects in an amount of $200,000 or greater and the aggregate contract award amount; and (i) Contractors that failed to comply with this Section. (Ord. 2023-20-E, § 3; Ord. 2024-635-E, § 8; Ord. 2024-768-E, § 2)

Jacksonville Ordinance Code § 126.507 Jacksonville Journey Forward Program Review.

Sec. 126.507. - Jacksonville Journey Forward Program Review. Jacksonville Journey Forward shall annually review, in consultation with the Chief, and make recommendations to the City Council as needed regarding the ex-offender program provided in this part no later than December 31, with the first report due no later than December 31, 2025. (Ord. 2024-635-E, § 9)

Source: City of Jacksonville, Ordinance Code and Charter and Related Laws (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/fl/jacksonville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TITVADPE_CH126PRCO_PT5FEPRFetched: 10/27/2026