RESEARCHING COMMUNITIES IN WHICH TO
LIVE AND WORK


When ex-offenders re-enter the outside world and consider where to find a job and reside, they can research communities at their local public library or on a computer connected to the Internet.

Several resources will provide you with a current profile of various communities. For example, statistical overviews and comparisons of states and cities are found in the U.S. Census Data, The Book of the States, and The Municipal Yearbook.

To access the U.S. Census Data on the Internet, type into a search engine: U.S. Census Data. The URL for the latest year available (at the time of writing this) is http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data.

The Book of the States is published annually. Ask the information desk or the reference librarian at your local library to help you locate the book. The Municipal Yearbook is also published annually; ask about this also.

Many libraries have, in their reference section, telephone books on various cities. If this section is weak or absent in your local library, check out several websites that function as telephone directories, such as: The Yellow Pages are invaluable sources of information on local companies and organizations.

Using the Internet, you can explore hundreds of newspapers and magazines linked to these key websites: For information on the best places to live, visit these websites: For information on the best places to work, try these websites: Several relocation websites provide a wealth of information on communities. Check out these sites for linkages to major communities: Most major communities and newspapers have websites. You can find a lot of community-based information and linkages on these sites, from newspapers and housing information to local employers, schools, recreation, and community services.


SOURCE: The original article was adapted from Ron and Caryl Krannich, Ph.Ds, The Ex-Offender's Job Hunting Guide (Manassas Park, VA: Impact Publications). Copyright 2005. All rights reserved. This version has been updated to reflect conditions in 2011.