National Reentry Week 2022
At a Glance
JFF is committed to improving employment opportunities for people with criminal records, including people returning from incarceration. Our new Center for Justice and Economic Advancement will cultivate an environment where fair chance hiring is the standard and everyone can advance economically. Throughout this final week of Second Chance Month, JFF highlights our ongoing reentry work and resources.We Go Where They Need Us to Be: The Power of Community Colleges to Support Learners in Reentry
By Rachel Pleasants McDonnell, Associate Director, JFF and Terrell Blount, Formerly Incarcerated College Graduates Network
Diane Good-Collins, the director of the reentry program at Nebraska’s Metropolitan Community College (MCC), knows first-hand the profound impact community colleges can have on adult learners, and on people with criminal records in particular. She took her first college class in the early 2000s as an incarcerated student at the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women, the only women’s prison in the state. Read more
Moving Beyond the Box: When Fair Chance Hiring Means Advancement Not Just Employment
By Lucretia Murphy, Associate Vice President, JFF and Ken Oliver, Executive Director, Corporate Social Responsibility, Checkr
When people with criminal records are employed and can earn steady wages, it means more than just a drop in recidivism: It means the ability to stay free and survive in society. Fortunately, perceptions of fair chance hiring are improving: In a recent survey, more than 53 percent of HR professionals said they had interest in hiring people with records, compared to 37 percent in 2018. Read More
Apprenticeship Shaped My Post-Prison Life — Employers Will Benefit from Others Like Me
By Joshua Johnson, Director, JFF
By working together to offer Registered Apprenticeship programs to men and women who are currently or formerly incarcerated, prisons and employers can give people with criminal records the opportunity for a fresh start while building a pipeline of motivated, dedicated employees. Read more
