Mounting research indicates that there are significant benefits for our communities in helping men and women that have been in prison, jail, or on probation find employment.
Unfortunately, some employers remain reticent to hiring someone who is or has been involved in the justice system, as evidenced by the need for laws such as Ban the Box, which, among other things, makes it illegal for an employer to inquire about criminal history prior to making a conditional offer of employment. In the District’s highly competitive and saturated job market, gainful employment remains an intractable challenge. For some, it is further compounded by the additional challenges posed by their history of involvement with the justice system.
In order to realize gains in public safety, it is imperative to remove barriers that can empower these individuals to take control of their destinies. One such mechanism for empowerment in the employment sector is entrepreneurship which provides a promising approach to address unemployment for men and women with criminal histories.
Watch our latest episode of DC Public Safety to delve deeper into this topic.
