Unlock the Talents of People With Criminal Records
In today’s remarkably tight labor market, employers are struggling to fill job vacancies. Yet the policies and customs governing U.S. workplaces, institutions, and systems largely disqualify or discourage nearly one-third of this country’s adults from pursuing employment and training opportunities because they have a past conviction or a criminal record. Congress should work toward bipartisan agreement on policies that expand the skilled labor pool and giving people with records a fair chance in the job market. Lawmakers have already reinstated eligibility for federal financial aid for people who are incarcerated. But there’s much more to do.
For starters, Congress should make the bipartisan Reentry Employment Opportunities (REO) program a permanent part of WIOA. Established in 2014 as a demonstration project, the REO program has enabled the U.S. Department of Labor to test and evaluate a number of approaches and partnership models for improving entry and success in the labor market for both youth and adults who are reentering their communities following incarceration.
With growing body of evidence of what works for people in these circumstances, Congress should now codify REO and significantly increase federal funding for reentry services, especially in communities whose populations have been impacted by high levels of incarceration and for institutions with track records of serving people with criminal records. Grant dollars should be made available for efforts to expand access to training opportunities, wraparound supports, and work experiences that lead to quality jobs through transitional job programs, apprenticeships, career pathways programs, and other proven models.
Moreover, Congress should require REO grantees to meet WIOA performance measures; partner closely with the corrections, education, and workforce development systems; and adopt program designs that reflect the expertise of individuals who have been incarcerated or faced criminal charges. Federal programs should also provide dedicated resources for technical assistance and capacity building activities, such as meetings and events that give REO grantees opportunities to share best practices.