April 2022 Summaries

As Fair Chance Month comes to an end, it's essential to acknowledge the immense progress made towards building a fairer future for individuals with a criminal record in the U.S., but also recognize the work yet to be done. The unemployment rate for Americans with an arrest or conviction record remains at 27%, and those who find employment often earn $10,000 a year or less. This is partly due to the practice of civil death, where individuals lose all their civil rights upon conviction, and the assumption that they've paid their "debt" to society by serving time in prison. Instead, America has erected numerous barriers that prevent released inmates from accessing employment, housing, and economic stability, exacerbating poverty, desperation, and recidivism. These barriers disproportionately affect Black and Brown communities due to systemic racism and poverty. A fairer future requires a holistic approach, including fair chance hiring, access to livable wage employment, safe and dignified housing, education, and supports for individuals with records to become contributing members of their communities. By giving everyone a fair chance every day, we can build enriched communities and promote healthy societies.

Dr. Annelies Goger, a Fellow at Brookings Metro, is an economic geographer with a PhD in economic geography and a master's in city planning. She works on understanding and closing the opportunity gap by exploring ways to improve systems that prevent individuals from achieving economic stability. Her current projects focus on scaling access to quality educational opportunities, job readiness, and experiential learning for people transitioning from prison to society using virtual reality technologies. Goger emphasizes the importance of context and qualitative data in tackling issues and argues that many countries already have systems in place to support people's career goals, but the US is not investing enough in creating opportunities for low-wage workers, those with limited formal education, or those with criminal records. She advocates for a more holistic approach to education and job training, including apprenticeships and vocational programs, to provide multiple pathways into good jobs, especially for underrepresented groups. Goger's work aims to help policymakers understand the challenges of reentry and develop solutions to overcome obstacles such as lack of access to quality education, limited job opportunities, and digital divides.

Fair chance hiring is a balanced approach to recognize the value of people with arrest and conviction histories, balancing safety with opportunities to rebuild lives through work. It's about considering the whole person behind the criminal record, inclusive of their successes since the conviction, and not solely relying on screening out candidates based on criminal history alone. Checkr has implemented a streamlined set of practices that honor this approach, including an adjudication framework, fair chance source partners, individualized assessments, and a focus on nature, time, and nexus between the crime and job requirements. The goal is to ensure people with criminal records have a fair shot at employment, advancing social justice and racial equity in the process. By embracing fair chance hiring, businesses can positively impact families and communities, and contribute to building a fairer future of work for all.

The Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth (CFSY) is a racial justice and equity organization working to end extreme sentencing of youth in the US. Co-Executive Director Xavier McElrath-Bey, who was incarcerated at 13 and transformed his life through education and advocacy, shares his personal experience and work with CFSY. The organization's mission focuses on legislative advocacy, coalition-building, public education, and strategic partnerships to support formerly incarcerated youth in reentry and healing. CFSY aims to change punitive systems to transformative, restorative, and healing for communities. Xavier highlights the importance of recognizing the trauma experienced by youth in the justice system and providing them with opportunities for redemption and second chances. He emphasizes the need for employers to adopt fair chance hiring practices, which can help individuals overcome barriers to employment and reintegrate into society. By supporting formerly incarcerated youth, CFSY seeks to promote racial and social justice and ensure that no one is left behind.

The virtual event TEDxSanQuentin: Challenging Fears After Prison will premiere on April 28th, 2022, featuring over 20 speakers and performers who have experienced incarceration or are currently incarcerated. The event aims to educate and inspire attendees by sharing stories and experiences of reentry and the challenges faced by this population, including struggles with employment, housing, and stigma. The day will also explore ways to build a better future for those returning from prison, including improving reentry programs and promoting fair opportunity hiring. The event features a diverse lineup of speakers, including experts, innovators, storytellers, and changemakers, who will share their experiences and insights on how to challenge fears surrounding reentry and create a brighter future for all.

Checkr is acquiring GoodHire, a company that offers a self-service background check solution designed for small businesses with a 100% online experience and built-in compliance. This acquisition brings together two innovative companies to serve businesses of all sizes, positioning Checkr to deliver an innovative software platform to customers of all sizes. The combined company aims to build a fairer future through fair chance hiring, delivering ease of use, speed, great candidate experiences, and fairness to its customers and partners. With the acquisition, Checkr is doubling down on its small to medium-sized business segment and expanding its offerings to include more innovative solutions for businesses of all sizes.

Checkr chats with Stacey Putka, Executive Director at Breakthrough, on the organization's mission and vision to prepare incarcerated individuals for successful reentry, plus best practices for employers to start fair chance hiring. Breakthrough is a Colorado-based 501c3 non-profit that helps people who have been incarcerated redefine their futures and embrace new possibilities while radically altering the community’s perception of the incarcerated population. Stacey Putka, Executive Director at Breakthrough, shares her personal journey into working with individuals in the justice system and how she came to lead an organization dedicated to reentry support. The Challenge Program is Breakthrough's eight-month in-prison education program that covers four major buckets of content: entrepreneurial mindset, reentry preparation, job readiness training, and character development. Stacey emphasizes the importance of building empathy and soft-skills in her programs, as participants often struggle with feeling seen and valued by their community. The organization also offers a Fair Opportunity Employer Program to engage employers and educate them on best practices for hiring individuals with criminal histories. Employers can benefit from hiring fair chance talent through improved job satisfaction, reduced turnover rates, and increased access to tax credits and other benefits. Stacey invites the audience to get involved with Breakthrough by volunteering or spreading the word about the organization's mission.

Checkr chats with Stacey Putka, Executive Director at Breakthrough, on the organization's mission and vision to prepare incarcerated individuals for successful reentry into society, plus best practices for employers to start fair chance hiring. Breakthrough is a Colorado-based 501c3 non-profit that helps people who have been incarcerated redefine their futures and embrace new possibilities while radically altering the community’s perception of the incarcerated population. The organization's holistic approach includes an in-facility career education program, community engagement, re-entry support, a fair opportunity hiring program, and criminal justice advocacy initiatives. Stacey Putka, Breakthrough's Executive Director, shares her personal journey that brought her to this work, highlighting her experiences as a clinician working with individuals in the justice system and her realization of the need for holistic reentry programs. She emphasizes the importance of building empathy and soft-skills in her programs, preparing participants for job interviews and onboarding processes, and educating employers on fair opportunity hiring best practices. Breakthrough's Fair Opportunity Employer Program engages with employers to understand the value of hiring people with criminal histories, providing a toolkit with 10 best practices for obtaining and maintaining fair opportunity talent. The organization invites individuals to get involved through volunteering and spreading the word about its mission and programs.

Checkr is launching a 30-day content series to educate employers about fair chance practices and promote fair hiring opportunities for individuals with criminal records. The initiative coincides with Fair Chance Month, also known as Second Chance Month, which aims to recognize the barriers that obstruct fairness and progress in reentry efforts. This month-long celebration acknowledges the challenges faced by over 600,000 people returning to their communities after serving time in prison, highlighting the need for policy change and organizational support to unlock brighter futures for individuals with a criminal record. Through various partnerships and resources, Fair Chance Month encourages employers to adopt fair chance hiring practices, providing opportunities for those who have been impacted by justice-impacted stigma.