“My name is Alvaro, and I just finished a six year bid for robbery in the first degree. No one saw it coming when I got convicted in 2004. I was a good kid with a good job. I didn’t have a hard life. But my friends’ approval meant a lot to me, and so I committed robbery because I wanted to fit in.  Basically, I went to prison because I was a follower.” -Alvaro C., Fortune client

Obtaining safe and stable employment can often be a major challenge for individuals coming out of prison or jail.  Recent statistics (see below) show that a significant number of people with criminal records are unemployed, as are the vast majority of people who violate probation or parole.  Having a job is crucial to maintaining a drug- and crime-free lifestyle after incarceration, and income is essential for paying rent, supporting family, staying out of prison, and satisfying parole conditions. Additionally, employment is a major step on the path toward independence and is a valuable motivator to support sobriety.

Unfortunately, people with incarceration histories face specific obstacles not shared by other members of the workforce – many have faced intense psychological and emotional trauma, many have developed survival skills in prison or on the streets that are the exact opposite of those necessary to be successful in the workplace, and many lack the basic skills needed to conduct job searches, interview effectively (especially when discussing their criminal record) or deal with the pressures of the workplace.  In short, the finding a job is undeniably critical for formerly incarcerated individuals transitioning back into society.

• According to Probation Department figures, approximately half of the nearly 29,000 individuals who were under the Probation Department’s supervision in December 2007 were unemployed (The City of New York Department of Small Business Services, Request for Proposals for Employment Initiative for New York City’s Probation Population, 2007).
• According to State labor statistics, 89% of people who violate the terms of their probation or parole are unemployed at the time of violation (NYS Department of Labor, 2003).
• Recent national surveys indicate that the unemployment rate among the formerly incarcerated one year after release may be as high as 60% (Petersilia, J. “When Prisoners Return to the Community: Political, Economic, and Social Consequences.” Sentencing and Corrections. Washington, D.C.: National Institute of Justice, 2000).