It is no secret that it is much harder to get a job if you have been convicted of a crime.
It is even harder after spending a long period of time in jail.
That is why the Oklahoma Department of Corrections is working with Oklahoma employers to help ease returning citizens back into work.
“Just talking to some of the guys and women, it’s very scary for them coming out,” ODOC Hope Ambassador Tammey Lane said. “They don’t know which way to go to be successful in the community.”
ODOC and Central Oklahoma Workforce Innovation Board recently held a job fair specifically for justice-involved individuals called the Fair Chance Hiring Event.
“For us, being a felon, it’s a major boost,” said returning citizen Troy Henning II. “Not a lot of people will give you that second chance. It’s a chance to return to society and live a real life. It gives you hope and a fighting chance.”
ODOC transported dozens of incarcerated individuals nearing their release dates to the fair in Oklahoma City.
“It gives you hope,” inmate Jeffery Thornburg said. “Just knowing people still care about you, even if you made bad decisions.”
They each got the opportunity to speak one-on-one with employers, practice interviews, and get their resumes reviewed.
Many who advocate for this program think these individuals are underutilized in the workforce.
“As I like to say, the difference between me and a felon is I didn’t get caught,” stated employer Eric Rager. “People deserve a second chance and I really believe they will be the best employees because they want to work.”
It is vital that citizens returning from a conviction are able to get a job. Second chances for people create better rates of continuing success.
“One person coming out of incarceration helping that one person isn’t just helping that person,” COWIB Business Services Manager Dana Campbell said. “It’s helping a family. It creates change down the line. And it also improves the community.”
People coming out of incarceration are ready to be employed. That is why the COWIB, Workforce Community Hope Center, ODOC, Goodwill Industries of Oklahoma, and other Workplace Development boards across the state have collaborated on this initiative.