Energizing the Workforce: Giving Second Chances
There are many reasons as to why I began writing about workforce equity in the energy industry. As I elaborated in a past post, there are countless issues with the levels of equity in our workforce, specifically when it comes to the population of those who have been formerly incarcerated. While we address workforce equity in a variety of contexts, I want to continuously shed light and elaborate on populations that are negatively affected by the standards and “norms” of the Energy industry.
We as a country know that incarceration rates in the United States exceed those in other countries by A LOT. It seems that every day various news outlets report on the “Criminal Justice Reform” or the “Incarceration Issue,” but do not explain what we as individuals can do to help solve the issues at hand. What we need to focus on is the continuous conversations that not only address the efforts taking place but also acknowledge ways we are making strides as a nation to create positive change.
TriplePundit, the world's leading sustainable business news site, covers workforce topics and specifies the importance of hiring those with a criminal background. One of the most imperative, yet short statements that come out of this specific post states, “from second chances come new opportunities.” If these new opportunities are not provided the individuals upon their release, then what? Are we as an industry setting them up for a return to prison? What is our job? Are we responsible for creating these new opportunities? These questions cannot be answered with a clear yes or no, simply because the answers are far more complex. When individuals are released from prison, they must adapt to the society that exists and whether 1 year or 30 years has passed, that adaption comes with countless barriers. One way these barriers can be tackled is to create new opportunities as mentioned above. There is no way for these individuals to fully move forward with their lives and improve if they are constantly having to take a step back into the life they had before incarceration. There is a distinct pressure for formerly incarcerated individuals to find jobs and stable living conditions when they are released, but if there are not many options for them, they are more likely to return to prison, only increasing recidivism rates and contributing to the incarceration epidemic in our country.
Movements such as “Ban the Box” are part of the creation of new opportunities. As a quick summation, “Ban the Box” is an American campaign that “advocated for ex-offenders, aimed at removing the checkbox that asks if applicants have a criminal record.” This rids of one of the many issues that formerly incarcerated individuals have upon release. There are various ways that you can engage in hiring individuals with a criminal background. On one end you can conduct open hiring (which will be elaborated on in a future post) where a job is given on a first-come-first basis (with very little requirements). On the other end, do not include this checkbox and if an applicant that you are interested in does, in fact, have a criminal background, open the conversation and have a dialogue about it. I guarantee that someone who is struggling to find a job would be a lot more open than you would expect.
Take Hope for Prisoners as a prime example of making change. “The organization’s efforts have been helped by a tight labor market that is prompting employers to now consider those with a criminal record as well as by a push nationwide to reduce employment barriers for those with a criminal past.” “There’s been a giant stigma in showing that people who were formally incarcerated can be an asset and not a liability. Now, there are thousands of positions available to former prisoners who participate in the Hope for Prisoners program.” Take notes from Jon Ponder, the founder of Hope for Prisoners, who was previously incarcerated. Through various employment and training programs, HFP, has single-handedly changed the way many Las Vegas stakeholders and employers view formerly incarcerated individuals.
As noted, these changes cannot happen overnight. Collaboration and communication are key components to enacting change, especially in the Energy Industry. Take time to consider the small changes you may be able to make that can then grow into something larger scale.
Check out these resources:
https://hopeforprisoners.org/
https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2019/hiring-formerly-incarcerated-people-good-communities-and-business-leaders-say/85501/
https://bantheboxcampaign.org/