Second chance hiring is a long term strategy for businesses that understand that social good and good business are not mutually exclusive. Second chance hiring is not charity, it is a business proposition that can supply employers with an additional channel of good quality employees while at the same time it is a road back to being a productive member of society for those who have been incarcerated.
The economic arguments and benefits for second chance employment are made in the ground breaking book Untapped Talent by Jeff Korzenik which we highly recommend to anyone who is interested in being a part of second chance hiring.
Watch the entire Webinar (approx. 47 min).
Host and Panelists
Dwight Tostenson (Host) is the Co-Founder and CEO of The Redemption Project. He oversees the strategic direction of the organization with a particular emphasis on the Virtues for Success curriculum. Dwight has a strong passion for social justice and for providing second chances to former felons. He also brings over 20 years of executive management experience to the organization.
Paul Schnell is the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Corrections and a member of Governor Tim Walz’s cabinet. He leads a team of more than 4,400 professionals dedicated to transforming lives and building safer communities through rehabilitation and opportunity.
With a lifelong commitment to service, Paul holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the University of St. Thomas and a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from St. Catherine University. His leadership centers on restoration, dignity, and second chances — empowering individuals to rebuild their lives and reintegrate successfully into their communities.
Odell Wilson is a retired Supervising U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Officer who dedicated 25 years to supporting transformation and rehabilitation within the federal justice system. A Penn State alumnus and member of the 1986 National Championship football team, Odell earned his bachelor’s degree in Rehabilitation Education and a master’s in Counselor Education.
Throughout his career, he championed second chances — guiding individuals toward restoration and new beginnings. Today, Odell continues to share his experience and insight to help build bridges between employers and justice-impacted individuals, advancing the mission of second-chance hiring and lasting redemption.
Lorrie Janatopoulos is the CareerForce Director at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). She works directly with sixteen local workforce development boards, their directors, and staff statewide to help ensure seamless workforce development services at a local level. CareerForce has approximately 150 staff across the state including job service staff delivering basic career skills through the employment services program and veterans staff working with veterans who have significant barriers to employment.
Jeremiah Carter is a Job Services Supervisor at DEED and oversees a number of projects including DEED’s special populations unit which focuses on justice-involved individuals or underrepresented populations. He leads a team that provides work readiness training for individuals that are transitioning out of correctional facilities and then provides direct services, job placement, and retention services for those that have significant barriers to employment and have backgrounds that may prohibit them from obtaining work in certain industries.