Recording: Re-Entry and Good Jobs – Building the Second Chances We All Believe In

Posted by Women's Way on April 1, 2025

Today approximately 77 million Americans, or 1 in 3 adults have a criminal record. While not everyone represented in this statistic has experienced incarceration, it serves to highlight that the barriers formerly incarcerated people face finding quality jobs are far more commonplace than we might think. Many returning citizens, who worked for little or no pay while incarcerated, will struggle to find quality jobs after release. Discrimination against those with a record, restrictions on what occupational licenses are available to those with a record, existing debts, punitive court supervision policies, and lack of support to meet basic needs in areas such as housing can force those leaving incarceration into dead-end, low-paying, and exploitative jobs. Some will find they are barred from doing the  jobs they worked or were trained to do while incarcerated. And many more lacked opportunities to participate in education or training opportunities while incarcerated.

But across the country, innovative efforts are underway to revamp our re-entry system by opening up access to good jobs.  New laws to wipe criminal records and address occupational licensing barriers, legal action aimed at discrimination, and a growing coalition of  employers and union leaders are showing that providing a second chance is possible.

Listen in to this event recording from the Aspen Institute, featuring Sappho Fulton, a WOMEN’S WAY Change the Narrative Fellow and Founder & CEO of Womxn Beyond Borders. In this discussion, panelists dive into the opportunities and challenges of accessing good jobs after incarceration. You don’t want to miss these important insights!