Nearly 700,000 people are released from prison each year and are locked out of the job market. Those who have served their time should not be “re-sentenced” by employers, especially when businesses are experiencing a human capital crisis.
Last month, Congress and the Trump Administration passed and signed into law the bipartisan First Step Act, improving rehabilitation and re-entry opportunities for thousands of incarcerated men and women.
SHRM CEO Johnny C. Taylor, Jr. calls on business leaders across the nation to commit to give greater employment opportunities to qualified individuals who have been excluded from the workforce because of their criminal records and explains why connecting employers with talent transcends political affiliation.
On January 27, 2019, SHRM and Koch Industries launched the Getting Talent Back to Work Pledge, an initiative that champions the hiring of qualified individuals with criminal records--who have traditionally been shut out of the labor market. Pledge now: http://www.GettingTalentBackToWork.org.