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Category: National News

Washington, DC - An estimated 70 million or more Americans have some kind of criminal record.  Each year, more than 600,000 individuals are released from Federal and State prisons, and millions more are released each year from local jails. Promoting the rehabilitation and reintegration of individuals who have paid their debt to society makes communities safer by reducing recidivism and victimization; assists those who return from prison, jail, or juvenile justice facilities to become productive citizens; and saves taxpayer dollars by lowering the direct and collateral costs of incarceration.

Providing incarcerated individuals with job and life skills, education programming, and mental health and addiction treatment increases the likelihood that they will be successful when released. Policies that limit opportunities for people with criminal records create barriers to employment, education, housing, health care, and civic participation. All of these are critical to reducing recidivism and strengthening communities.

As part of National Reentry Week, the Administration has taken a series of steps to reform the federal approach to reentry by addressing barriers to reentry, supporting state and local efforts to do the same, and engaging the private sector to provide individuals who have earned a second chance the opportunity to participate in the American economy.

Today, the President will sign a Presidential Memorandum establishing the Federal Interagency Reentry Council to lead the Government’s work on the rehabilitation and reintegration of individuals returning to their communities from prisons and jails. The Attorney General has successfully led a Cabinet-level working group for the last five years, and this Memorandum will build on that success and ensure that the Federal Government will continue this important work. 

The Administration is taking important steps to reduce barriers to employment for formerly incarcerated individuals:

Engaging the Private Sector and Honoring Champions of Change

The President continues to call on members of the private sector to improve their communities by creating a pathway to a job for a formerly incarcerated individual. On April 11th, the White House hosted 19 companies to launch the Fair Chance Business Pledge, including American Airlines, Busboys and Poets, The Coca-Cola Company, Facebook, Georgia Pacific, Google, Greyston Bakery, The Hershey Company, The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System, Koch Industries, Libra Group, PepsiCo, Prudential, Starbucks, Uber, Under Amour/Plank Industries, Unilever and Xerox. 

In the two weeks since these initial companies took the pledge, an additional 93 companies and organizations have joined the pledge, including Microsoft, Best Buy, Lyft, Kellogg Company, Staples, TrueBlue, the Oklahoma City Thunder, Catholic Charities USA, NAACP, Manufacturing Alliance of Philadelphia, American Civil Liberties Union, the American Sustainable Business Council and dozens of small and medium-sized companies from across the country.

Together, these 112 companies and organizations employ well over 1.5 million people. By joining the pledge, they are committing to take action to reduce barriers to a second chance, such as “banning the box,” ensuring information regarding a criminal record is considered in the proper context, and engaging in hiring practices that do not unnecessarily place jobs out of reach for those with criminal records. Companies and organizations interested in joining the pledge can continue to do so by visiting www.whitehouse.gov/fairchancepledge.

This past Wednesday, the White House honored 10 individuals as “White House Champions of Change for Expanding Fair Chance Opportunities.”  These individuals were recognized for their leadership and tireless work to remove barriers to a second chance for those with a criminal records.

Additional Federal Agency Actions To Reduce Barriers During National Reentry Week

As part of National Reentry Week, the Federal Interagency Reentry Council agencies have announced additional steps to improve the rehabilitation and reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals: