FACT: Recent research has found that employees with records remain on the job at higher rates than those without criminal histories. For example, better retention can reduce an employer’s recruitment and training costs for lower-skilled white-collar workers, which analysts estimate are close to $4,000 per employee. Some governmental bodies offer insurance and tax incentives for employers who hire people with criminal records, protecting against real or perceived risks of loss

FACT: Prior research suggests that employers discriminate against those with criminal records, even if they claim not to. Although employers express willingness to hire people with criminal records, evidence shows that having a record reduces employer callback rates by 50%. In order to implement fair hiring best practices, companies should remove questions regarding criminal convictions from job applications. Delay asking about applicant’s criminal history until conditional o

FACT: No studies support the idea that formerly incarcerated individuals are poor workers or pose a greater security risk. In a compelling case study, Jennifer Lundquist, Devah Pager, and Eiko Strader found that in the military, workers with felony-level criminal records are no more likely to be fired for the negative reasons employers assume (such as misconduct or poor work performance) than those with no criminal record. Johns Hopkins conducted a study of 79 employees with

FACT: The justice-involved often outperform workers without criminal records. For people with criminal records, rejection –and fear of rejection – are common experiences. They have been told “no” before – by banks, by potential employers, by colleges and universities. Along the way, many have cultivated resilience, a wellspring of hope, faith, and determination that propels them forward despite the obstacles in their path. Individuals with criminal records are more motivated

FACT: Employees with criminal records tend to stay on the job and remain loyal to employers who hire them. In two recent studies, human resources managers found that annual turnover was on average 12.2 percent lower for employees with criminal records and by adopting a program to recruit employees with criminal histories it reduced turnover from 25 percent to 11 percent. This post is an excerpt from Cornell University IRL (Industrial and Labor Relations) School's original pos

The Trump administration has executed more federal prisoners than any presidency since Franklin Roosevelt’s. Roosevelt was president for 12 years, and his total includes six saboteurs who were tried by a military commission. - ProPublica The National Academy of Sciences reports that at least 4.1 percent of defendants sentenced to death in the United States are innocent . At Honest Jobs, we believe that the death penalty is an antiquated and imperfect form of sentencing that m

After seeing news reports that local food banks were struggling due to the pandemic, a group of Oregon inmates raised almost $5k to help. They also raised over $10k for a local transitional shelter that serves families with incarcerated loved ones. The effort comes from a group of over a dozen adults in custody, or AICs, who call themselves the “Paradigm Shift Club.” The group’s mission statement is “shifting society’s view of AICs, shifting how AICs look at staff, the way st

The owners of the Brooklyn Nets announced the first grant recipients of their ten-year, $50 million Social Justice Fund . One of the awardees is formerly incarcerated Michael "Zaki" Smith , co-founder of Feast for Fair Chance, an organization with a mission to fight recidivism by eliminating the key areas that impact reintegration after incarceration. "There are 47,000 punishments for a person with a criminal conviction—and in some states even an arrest—that could bar you fro

California is a world leader in incarceration rates with 581 individuals per 100,000. More than 325,000 Californians are currently on parole or probation and the recidivism rate is 46%. California nonprofit, The Bread Project , has been fighting recidivism and empowering returning citizens by offering a free 8 week program teaching commercial food prep and baking to its formerly incarcerated participants. Graduates receive 240 hours of intensive experience, professional food

Los Angeles, California: In 2019, the People's Pottery Project began offering free pottery classes to formerly incarcerated individuals. After the pandemic halted their ability to hold in-person classes, the studio continued its mission "empower formerly incarcerated women, trans, and nonbinary individuals and their communities through the arts" by offering full-time employment to these justice-involved individuals. The organization allows their employees to earn a living w

California relies heavily on the 1,800 inmates working in its prison fire camps to fight wildfires. Despite returning to society with years of experience, many of the formerly incarcerated firefighters faced extreme difficulty pursuing professional careers battling fires after completing their sentences. New legislation and organizations like Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program are helping to blaze the trail to reentry for these front-line heroes. Read the complete story

Through a unique program offered by Ohio non-profit, Kindway , inmates at The Ohio Reformatory for Women and Marion Correctional Institution create hand-crafted jewelry, called Kindware , while incarcerated. Proceeds from the sales of these one-of-a kind pieces provide resources to support returning citizens as they transition from prison to independence through the organization's reentry program. Watch the creation process for their "Chunky" line below: Join Honest Jobs Hone

Opening next week, non-profit coffee shop Well Grounded Coffee Community is dedicated to employing mothers who are formerly incarcerated. So far, Well Grounded has hired two women who will serve as the shop’s baristas. The founders will also teach their hires how to use a computer and learn bookkeeping. Join Honest Jobs Honest Jobs is a nationwide job board for second chance employment. If you're wanting to get a job with a felony or to reach untapped talent, join here: www

A report released last week by the San Diego Workforce Partnership explores the link between systemic racism, criminal justice, and economic opportunity . Some of the most interesting findings include: The average cost to incarcerate an individual in California is $75,000–greater than the tuition, room and board cost to send someone to Harvard University for the year. 74 million Americans have criminal records—about as many as have college degrees. 20% of entry-level hires at

Today, the Philadelphia Eagles football team acknowledged the work of non-profit organizations by announcing that the Eagles Social Justice Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation awarded grants totaling $460,000 to 24 Philadelphia-area non-profit organizations. One of the recipients is " Why Not Prosper ," a non-profit founded by a formerly incarcerated woman that strives to help women from prison systems discover their own strength. The program offers support and resources emp

Omari Amili spent time in prison for bank fraud before earning three degrees, including a Master's Degree, from the University of Washington. Since turning his life around through further educations, Omari has become an educator, a public speaker and an author, focusing on youth affected by the criminal justice system. " Despite the barriers that society has in place, and continues to reinforce, many of my friends and I are proof that there can be a positive life after prison

Chicago, Illinois: A recent study shows 44 percent of formerly incarcerated Black women are unemployed, compared to 18 percent of formerly incarcerated white men. Looking for a fresh start after being released from prison, four women created the commercial kitchen cooperative, ChiFresh Kitchen , cooking, baking and packaging hundreds of meals for delivery across Chicago. ChiFresh Kitchen partners with Urban Growers Collective to meet emergency food needs caused by the pand

PBS News Hour explores the struggles that returning citizens face in finding housing after incarceration , which in turn prevents them from getting treatment for an addiction or from securing a steady job, and ultimately, staying out of jail. The report is part of a weeklong series, "Searching for Justice". A 2018 study by the Prison Policy Initiative found that formerly incarcerated people were nearly 10 times more likely to be homeless than the general population, especiall

Claudia Shivers, a High Point, NC, resident, is building her coffee-roasting business after graduating from the " Inmates to Entrepreneurs " program, the longest running program of its kind in the nation. The eight-week program has helped her build her company, Queen Coffee Bean. Shivers now has a website, a space to roast her coffee beans, and pop-up shops to introduce her coffee to people in an effort to support small farmers and grow community. Shivers says the program pro

The coronavirus pandemic has upended the lives of all Americans but it’s been especially hard on individuals known as returning citizens -- formerly incarcerated men and women who are re-entering society. PBS News Hour explores the story of one man in Washington D.C. who is trying to beat the odds . This is part one of their series, "Searching for Justice." Join Honest Jobs Honest Jobs is a nationwide job board for second chance employment. If you're wanting to get a job with