Leon El-Alamin was formerly incarcerated himself. Now, he is the founder of the M.A.D.E. Institute, a nonprofit organization with the mission the help people returning home from incarceration. As El-Alamin worked with formerly incarcerated people for years, he noticed a pattern of those being released: They do not get adequate medical attention. “When you’re incarcerated, (healthcare) is very poor. You’re limited to the type of resources of healthcare coverage you can get in

We would like to highlight Natasha Hongsermeier-Graves’ article in Omaha World-Herald which talks about how leveraging support for community healing has a lot higher return on investment than pouring taxpayer money into incarceration. A lot of times, high rates of recidivism are a direct result of not having adequate support systems and resources for people coming out of prison. Hongsermeier-Graves highlights that the three most important solutions to reduce the reincarcera

On International Women's Day, we want to raise awareness of the direct impact of the criminal legal system on women: - The United States is one of the top incarcerators of women in the world. - Women’s incarceration has grown at twice the pace of men’s incarceration in recent decades, and disproportionately in local jails for low-level offenses. - Even a few days of incarceration can have dramatic impacts on women's employment, housing, families, and future opportunities. Rea

Nkosi Cain, the CEO & Co-Founder of Touchdown NYC is formerly incarcerated himself. Cain got out of prison in 2004 and he found himself confronted by many barriers that can prevent returning citizens from building their new lives. “I had no one to sustain me. I couldn’t find a job. I started to feel like all of the work that I had done on myself, all the education that I had acquired, that I got out and ran into a roadblock. I just couldn’t get by and it significantly impacte

The bill was introduced by Senator Justin Wayne, who represents North Omaha. The bill offers an income tax credit to businesses who hire people with felony convictions. The reduction is applicable for the first year of their employment, or until they make $20,000. “There are so many people who are coming out of incarceration who just need an opportunity, so something like this tax credit will get employees to say ‘well, okay, I’ll take this chance.’ It gives the people coming

We all know that having a pending charge makes it even more difficult to find employment. Landis has two pending charges, however she got a call back from an employer only an hour after she applied to a job on Honest Jobs. She found a great job along with a supportive and loving community. Read the whole interview with Landis here: What experience did you have with the criminal justice system? Landis: “This is actually my first time dealing with the system. I have two pendin

Eddie could not find a job for months because of his criminal convictions. With the help of Honest Jobs, he applied to one company which welcomed him with open arms regardless of his past. Learn more about his experience in the video below: Read the whole interview with Eddie here: What experience do you have with the criminal justice system? Eddie: “My first experience was when I was just young and dumb, it was in 2004. I took advantage of an education place I was going to,

Coming out of prison with a job offer is a huge step in the right direction when it comes to tackling recidivism. When people commit crimes after they are released, it's usually because they can’t get a job and therefore they cannot rebuild a stable life. LA Californian State Prison in Solano recently hosted a hiring event where nearly two dozen incarcerated people got a conditional job offer. The $37 million dollar Prison to Employment Initiative, a reentry services integrat

Zia Soleil’s article in Truthout suggests that employers who truly care about creating a diverse team should also consider hiring justice-involved individuals who need a second chance. Diversity trainings in work places started in the 1960s following the passage of equal employment opportunity and affirmative action laws. This movement helped raising awareness to discrimination and provided more opportunities for Black Americans. However, while focusing on improving hiring pr

UCLA’s Prison Education Program provides education to incarcerated women and young adults by bringing in UCLA faculty and students to learn alongside them. The program was launched in 2015 as the first Californian University to offer certificate in justice studies partnering with UCLA Extension for incarcerated people. The goal is to start a bachelor degree program. Bryonn Bain, one of the program directors, said they launched the program after he talked to incarcerated women

Because of his criminal background, Demetrick had a hard time finding stable employment for long years. He took temporary jobs, just to make ends meet. With Honest Jobs, he managed to find stable employment within 3 weeks and he is looking forward growing with the company. Learn more about his experience in the video below: Read the whole interview with Demetrick here: What experience did you have with the criminal justice system? Demetrick: “In 1997, my first initial charge

Gerald has a sex offense, which makes it extremely difficult to find employment regardless of the individual's experience. Even with 30 years of manufacturing experience, his conviction always caused employers to send him away. With Honest Jobs, he found a job where he makes $19/hr and from where he is planning to retire. Learn more about his experience in the video below: Read the whole interview with Gerald here: What experience did you have with the criminal justice system

After months of looking for jobs and being rejected because of his criminal background, Marquon got the first job he applied to on the Honest Jobs website. Now he has a chance to have a stable life and take care of his family, and follow his dreams to become an electrical engineer. Learn more about his experience in the video below: Read the whole interview with Marquon here: What is your experience with the criminal justice system? Marquon: "I wasn't convicted. It's an adjud

Jeffrey has a violent conviction. He applied to many jobs, but no one called him back because of his criminal background. With the help of Honest Jobs, he started working within five days. Now he is a machine operator and motivated to grow within the company. Read the whole interview with Jeffrey here: What experience do you have with the criminal justice system? Jeffrey: "I did two years in prison, years ago, back in the nineties, actually. I got out and moved back from Texa

Chicago-based Sweet Beginnings, LLC, hires talented justice-involved individuals to help them rebuild their lives by providing a pathway to success. They make an all-natural line of raw honey and honey-infused skincare products. “Not only do we respect the earth in the production of our products, but we also provide important transitional job opportunities for area residents who struggle with barriers to employment.” - beelove® Buzz. Their beelove® honey has a complex flavor

The federal Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act of 2019 (also known as the Fair Chance Act) officially took effect on the 20th of December, 2021. It was signed two years ago with the goal of prohibiting federal contractors from asking applicants about their criminal records until after a conditional offer of employment is extended. The " Ban the Box" laws are intended to make it easier for justice-involved job seekers to find employment, providing opportunities for people wh

Reintegrating justice-involved job seekers more successfully On the 22nd of December, The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) announced that they are awarding around $110 million to help currently and formerly incarcerated people. This program aims to reduce recidivism by assisting these individuals in reentering their communities more successfully. The grants will be awarded to jurisdictions, non-profit organizations, research institutions, and other agencies with evidence-base

Each New Year brings a time to reflect on the past and plan for the future. At Honest Jobs, we are excited to do even more in 2022 to help justice-involved job seekers find stable employment. Looking back, here are some of Honest Jobs' greatest accomplishments: The number of job seekers we helped grew by over 1000% 550% more employment partners joined our platform vs. the prior year Our internal team grew by 220% We opened our second office in Colorado Our company reached $1M

A local church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, organized a giveaway this year, inviting formerly incarcerated individuals to take part. "Action for Christ Ministries" organizes gift distribution every year. However, this year they partnered with a group called "EXPO," which stands for "ex-prisoners," to distribute Christmas gifts among children who cannot enjoy the holidays with their incarcerated family members. "I've been incarcerated, and people tend to forget that there are oth

Gabrielle was charged with a felony in 2019 for possession of a controlled substance. With Honest Jobs, she found employment within three weeks. We are excited to see her thrive in her new role as Remote Customer Service Representative. As Gabrielle put it: "Bad things happen to good people. And sometimes, you just have to go on with your life and just keep pushing through. Don't go back and do it again; go live your life the best you can. But it's okay that your past is your