This is not a new idea. San Francisco has, for decades, had Delancey St., an excellent restaurant (and halfway house) run by people in recovery from drug use and either graduates of or currently in their highly-regarded rehab program. Most of the these people are also ex-cons. The restaurant accomplishes two goals: it makes money for the rehab programs and it provides the clients job training. See: http://sanfrancisco.citysearch.com/profile/880084/ As you can see, diners give the place a 9.2 out of 10 rating–not bad!