Empowering Futures: The Impact of Fair Chance Jobs
Imagine a society where personal growth and accountability are met with closed doors instead of second chances. Society can be unforgiving and unwilling to take a chance on formerly incarcerated individuals for their mistakes, even when they put significant work into awareness, education, and accountability.
Around sixty percent of those leaving prison or who have recently been released are unemployed within a year. Employers play a crucial role in helping former inmates reintegrate with society successfully reducing the likelihood of returning.
Ex-offenders face numerous hurdles due to their background, limited skills, and resume gaps, which often reflect mismatches with employers’ expectations. In fact, according to NCSL, seventy-seven million Americans have some type of criminal record and, as a result, only seventeen percent of job applicants with these records receive callbacks from potential employers. Of those who receive callbacks, it has been reported by the prison policy initiative, only thirty-three percent were able to obtain a job within four years post-release.
Even those who do receive job opportunities post prison go through three jobs on average throughout a four-year period. These statistics suggest that formerly incarcerated individuals were given job opportunities lacking in security, adequate compensation, and/or adaptability.
According to a study conducted by Consumer Affairs, the average Houstonian needs approximately $62,890 to live ‘comfortably’ and to avoid living paycheck to paycheck, which is an average $30.24 hourly wage. Those trying to reenter the workforce often end up at a minimum wage job ($7.25), which comes out to $15,000 annually. We want to close that pay gap by creating career transitional jobs for formerly incarcerated and partnering with fair chance companies in industries like:
• Transportation
• Staffing companies
• Upper retail management
• Maritime Offshore
• Welding
• Electrical
• HVAC
• Carpentry
• Oil & Gas
The RISE Initiative aims to promote fair chance hiring across Houston by supporting clients and candidates through career coaching, placement, tax credits, subsidies, and skill development. These chances help people understand that first impressions are not the whole person, fair chances help people learn valuable lessons, restore hope, and thrive. Hiring can help people with criminal records find employment and become initiative-taking members of society.
Here at The RISE Initiative, we believe that hope is tangible. RISE is dedicated to partnering with companies to provide fair-chance employment opportunities for individuals seeking to rebuild their lives post-incarceration. Join us in making a difference empowering individuals through faith.
To learn more about The RISE Initiative, feel free to call us at 281.665.2814 or email us at jacob@coregroupcares.com .
Our team is ready to assist you with any questions you may have.