In his 2024 Second Chance Month proclamation, President Joe Biden declared, "America was founded on the promise of new beginnings." As individuals ourselves impacted by the carceral system, we can attest to the importance of new beginnings. But we can also see the contrast between this ambitious vision and the stark reality that most people face.
Many of our nation's investments in second chances focus on initiatives mentioned in Biden's proclamation, such as the Second Chance Pell Grants program, that seek to unlock educational opportunities for those currently incarcerated. Such initiatives do illuminate a path toward empowerment, but what about employment?
As much as education is the key to a happier and more successful society, we need to give these individuals the appropriate workforce opportunities to continue to be law-abiding and successful citizens. True second chances do not result from access to basic education or skills training. Instead, we must create pathways to careers that will help people reach their fullest potential.
We're far from doing this in the U.S.
According to a CBS report, most system-impacted individuals—61 percent of whom were involved with non-violent offenses, by the way—have found it almost impossible to gain employment. Each of these people, who comprise one-third of the working-age population in America, have talents and ability yet face a 27 percent unemployment rate.
Research found that system-impacted individuals are denied workforce opportunities, even as many state governors are forced to address workforce shortages in nearly every sector. Reintegrating these individuals into the American workforce is not only the right thing to do, it is an economic necessity.
By providing system-impacted people with employment opportunities, we tap into a vast and underutilized talent pool, while enabling them to become assets and contribute their skills. This reduces strain on the current workforce, aids social programs, and builds economic stability.
For America to make "second chances" a reality through good jobs, we must act now. As a society, there are three actions we can take to help system-impacted people gain a fair and equitable chance in society.
First, we must provide formerly incarcerated people with opportunities beyond low wages and bare minimum jobs. By recognizing their potential and offering fair chances in industries such as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), we can break the cycle of stigma and unlock a highly valuable talent pool for businesses.
Our work with the National Science Foundation INCLUDES Alliance's STEM Opportunity in Prison Settings (STEM-OPS) program shows that we can create pathways to well-paid careers with a future by normalizing opportunities. When we do so, we will create a world that ceases to drive educated system-impacted people into low paying or dead end jobs.
Second, we must work with our lawmakers to update laws that prohibit this population from pursuing meaningful careers, including in fields that face significant labor shortages (sustainable jobs). We must dispel myths that stigmatize the hiring of system-impacted individuals. And we must encourage employers to give applicants chances to prove their qualifications—the same as any other candidate applying for the position.
Finally, we must advocate and speak for this marginalized group, many of whom have their voices silenced. As U.S. citizens and taxpayers, we must be educated and knowledgeable about the injustice that is currently perpetrated across the carceral system.
What happens if we do not take these actions? We ensure that system-impacted individuals will continue to be caught in an endless cycle of failure that only benefits for-profit prison systems. That is unconscionable for a country that prides itself on freedom of opportunity.
When we take these actions—this month and every month—we will create and sustain systems that can fuel real second chances and new beginnings. People who complete their punishments will be able to return and build a better future not just for themselves but for our country.
Michael Saine and Basia Skudrzyk are experts in education and workforce development for system-impacted individuals. Basia is the principal investigator and director of Education Development Center's STEM Opportunities in Prison Settings (STEM-OPS) program and Michael is STEM-OPS communications manager.
The views expressed in this article are the writers' own.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
