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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E825]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
JOB CORPS CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CENTERS
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HON. PETER A. DeFAZIO
of oregon
in the house of representatives
Monday, June 24, 2019
Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, there were a number of concerns raised
about Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers (CCC) during debate over
my amendment to the LHHS Appropriations bill, and I would like to
respond to those directly.
Contrary to the assertion that the transfer of operations of all U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service Job Corps CCCs to the
Department of Labor (DOL) will ``allow more students to engage with the
program,'' this move would have forced the immediate closure of nine
centers across eight states, quite literally closing off DOL's ability
to serve thousands of at-risk youth across the country, while also
negatively impacting the rural communities these CCCs are built around
and reducing the Forest Service's capacity as both wildfire and
hurricane seasons get underway.
During debate, it was also asserted that CCCs produce ``phenomenally
bad results.'' Of the nine centers that were slated for closure, seven
of them were in top half of Job Corps centers for Performance Year
2017, the most recent program year data is available for. In the state
of North Carolina, where at least two CCCs were slated for closure, the
Lyndon B. Johnson Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center, the
Oconaluftee Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center, and the Schenck Job
Corps Civilian Conservation Center rank 76th, 18th, and 4th
respectively out of all 126 Job Corps sites. Schenck finished Program
Year 2017 as the country's top performing Job Corps center. While not a
CCC, the Kittrell Job Corps Center currently ranks sixth overall,
meaning North Carolina has three of the top 20 Job Corps centers.
Concerns over the safety and security of Job Corps sites were also
consistently mentioned. In highlighting these concerns, no distinction
was made between CCCs and regular Job Corps sites. In Program Year
2017, CCCs served more than 14 percent of Job Corps' total residential
students and accounted for 13.5 percent of total reported incidents of
violence at Job Corps centers across the country. This clearly shows
that CCCs are not disproportionately violent compared to other Job
Corps centers. It is important to note that the high-profile crimes
that occurred several years ago did not occur on a Job Corps Civilian
Conservation Center site.
As was testified at a hearing last Congress, the reality is that the
mortality rate for Job Corps center students in recent program years
was about 4.7 per 100,000. The national mortality rate for individuals
ages 16 to 24 during that same time period was 70.88 per 100,000, more
than 15 times higher. Students at Job Corps centers are also 19 times
less likely to die of a drug overdoes than youth their age outside
ofthe program.
That being said, I agree that we must do everything we can to
minimize violence at Job Corps centers. In the wake of tragic events in
2015, the National Job Corps Association (NJCA) submitted policy
recommendations to DOL in order to improve safety and security. Some of
these recommendations have been implemented while others have not. I
believe Congress can work together to ensure that CCCs maximize safety
while recruiting and retaining a high number of students.
Thankfully, the Trump Administration reversed its decision to end the
CCC program. CCCs are an important part of the Forest Service's
mission, they play an essential role in the health and safety of
Oregon's forests, and they provide critical opportunities for at-risk
youth. I will continue to push back against any future attacks and look
forward to working with those who want to further strengthen this
successful program.
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