What does it mean to be a second chance employer ? Second chance employer hires is formerly incarcerated individuals, people in recovery, or other applicants whose life choices and situations have disadvantaged them in obtaining stable employment.
Tonya Arrasmith is current HR Manager for Newman Tractor but has been in the HR field for more than 30 + years working with individuals who want and deserve a second chance. In the conversation, she spoke about how some of the greatest employers she has had has come from people who are looking for a second chance.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce stated that "Employing individuals with criminal records benefits society. Workers are more likely to achieve stability and less likely to return to prison, and businesses gain access to an often-overlooked labor pool. Giving returning citizens a second chance can also lead to reduced employee turnover. At the same time, crime is reduced while employment rates increase, directly supporting a more prosperous society".
Second chance employers are a great deal to society because who else is going to offer employment to felons ?
In the state of South Carolina, S.C. Department of Corrections (SCDC) and the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) created the Second Chance initiative to help returning citizens learn a skill and understand how to successfully search for a job. By helping individuals prepare for employment, they gain confidence, purpose, and direction, reducing the recidivism rate. In order to participate in many of these programs, specific requirements must be met by the participant, including a disciplinary-free record and non-violent offenses for incarceration.
Not only does second chance hiring provide an opportunity for business to change lives, but there's also a massive economic incentive: Locking people with criminal backgrounds out of the workforce costs the U.S. economy an estimated $87 billion every year, according to JPMorgan Chase, which has grown into an outspoken advocate for second chance hiring.
Not to say that all felons deserve a second chance because it has to be looked at case by case. But for the ones that do deserve a second chance, society has to look at all the good that they can contribute moving forward.
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