Reducing Recidivism Through Employment: How Employers Help
Imagine preparing for a job interview while rebuilding your life after incarceration. You want to earn a living, support your family, and move forward. But you wonder whether an employer will look beyond your criminal record and recognize what you can contribute today.
Employers can open that door. By considering qualified applicants with criminal histories, businesses create opportunities for people seeking a fresh start. Donors can help make those opportunities accessible through organizations such as The Redemption Project, which connects employment with ongoing reentry support.
How Does Employment Support Successful Reentry?
Recidivism means returning to criminal behavior, which researchers measure through rearrest, reconviction, or reincarceration.
Meaningful employment helps people meet expenses, build routines, and find support. However, a 2024 U.S. Department of Labor review found that seven of 11 employment-focused reentry programs improved employment outcomes, while only three of 10 interventions measuring recidivism showed statistically significant effects.
Jobs can support reentry, but employers should also recognize the importance of housing, health care, and other services.
Why Should Businesses Consider Second-Chance Hiring?
Second-chance hiring means considering people with criminal records for employment based on their qualifications and suitability for the role.
For businesses, that approach expands the pool of potential candidates. An applicant may bring useful skills, relevant training, or experience that a restrictive hiring policy would overlook.
What Second-Chance Hiring Offers Your Business
Second-chance hiring delivers results. In a 2021 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management and the Charles Koch Institute, 85% of HR professionals and 81% of business leaders said workers with criminal records perform as well as or better than their peers. Respondents also rated these employees equal or stronger on dependability and retention.
Those perspectives challenge assumptions. Each applicant still deserves an individual evaluation, with clear job requirements and consistent performance expectations.
Employers can also reduce risk at no cost. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Federal Bonding Program provides free fidelity bonds worth $5,000 to $25,000 that protect against employee theft during a new hire’s first six months. Minnesota employers may request bonds through the state’s coordinator at CareerForce.
Tax incentives also deserve a closer look. The federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit once offered up to $2,400 for hiring someone with a recent felony conviction, but its authority lapsed for wages paid after Dec. 31, 2025. Congress has revived the credit retroactively before, so check its current status with a tax adviser.
How the Redemption Project Prepares Participants
The Redemption Project’s program combines education, partnerships, advocacy, and support. Participants begin preparing during incarceration through its Virtues for Success curriculum, which encourages critical thinking, problem-solving, and character development.
The organization also connects participants with mentors and continues group and individual mentoring after release. It helps participants find employers offering meaningful work at a livable wage, provides financial resources for reentry, and connects people with additional nonprofit services when needed.
That preparation gives prospective employers a community partner. Managers can discuss opportunities with an organization that already knows the participants and continues supporting their transition.
Practical Ways Employers Can Help
Start with a thoughtful hiring process. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recommends considering the offense, how long ago the conduct occurred, and the job’s responsibilities when evaluating criminal history. It also advises allowing applicants to explain their circumstances.
Then prepare for success beyond the interview:
Clearly explain duties, attendance expectations, and workplace policies.
Offer structured onboarding, regular feedback, and opportunities to build skills.
Discuss scheduling needs, including required supervision appointments.
Give employees a clear path to ask questions or raise concerns.
Choose a supervisor who answers questions patiently and addresses problems early. Track progress through the same measures you use for other employees, including work quality, reliability, teamwork, and skill development.
The Redemption Project’s employment partners consider participants when openings match their qualifications. The organization offers its services for free and asks employers to be flexible with probation or parole obligations.
How Donors Help People Take the Next Step
Getting ready for work can involve expenses before the first paycheck arrives. Interview clothing, shoes, and personal care supplies may feel like small purchases, but they matter when someone starts over.
The Redemption Project’s donation page outlines concrete ways to help. A $100 gift provides educational materials and an employment readiness guide for one participant. A $250 gift provides resources for hygiene items, shoes, and interview clothing for one participant.
Prospective employers can begin by exploring an employment partnership and sharing available positions. Donors can support the preparation that helps someone pursue those openings with confidence. Your next step could help a person reach an interview ready to show what they can do.