WHY IT MATTERS

One in seven adults in the District has a publicly available criminal record and it is estimated that only 30-50% of these individuals are able to find and maintain employment. 

By hiring people who have been impacted by the criminal legal system, D.C.-area employers are opening their job selection process up to new, untapped talent that’s ready and eager to work.

Safer Communities

Providing justice-impacted people with a second chance, particularly in the workforce, helps build safer communities.

The impacts of D.C.’s criminal legal system are not felt by all D.C. residents equally. Roughly 90% of people incarcerated at the D.C. Department of Corrections and 95% of people incarcerated in the Federal Bureau of Prisons are Black, despite Black people making up a little less than half of D.C.’s population. Because of this, second chance hiring is not only an important tool for businesses to fill some of their workforce needs, but it is a way to build economic prosperity for those most heavily impacted by our justice system.

And it is good for business. Research consistently shows that justice-impacted employees have higher retention rates and better performance evaluations than those who are not justice-impacted. On top of that, D.C. is rated most severe in terms of worker shortage by the US Chamber of Commerce.

Businesses need justice impacted employees and they need jobs – it’s a win-win.