One of the most critical requirements for ex-offenders returning to their communities is gainful employment. They cannot very well be expected to survive and stay out of prison without an income. While employers may empathize with returning citizens, they often hesitate to hire a person with a record. Here are four reasons to reconsider that stance.
According to the Arizona Townhall Report for 2018, approximately 14,000 people were released from Arizona prisons in 2015 [p 156, https://aztownhall.org/Town-Hall-Reports]. While the vast majority of those returning citizens were in Maricopa and Pima counties, hundreds of ex-offenders return to Cochise County every year. It can be challenging to recruit new hires, especially for low-wage jobs, but returning citizens provide a large pool of potential employees who are eager to work.
Returning citizens have unique skill sets, unlike those who have never been incarcerated. They have learned to cope with adversity and thrive in a hostile environment. Many have taken college classes or other vocational training courses while imprisoned. Correspondence courses and other non-college distance education opportunities are available to inmates. A returning citizen has demonstrated the resilience and strength of character valued in the workplace.
One specific employer goal is fostering a diverse workforce with multiple ethnic and demographic backgrounds, and hiring returning citizens facilitates that effort. Hiring managers often focus on finding employees with diverse backgrounds, which often leads to racial profiling. Increasing the hiring pool to include returning citizens makes achieving diversity easier since potential employees come from diverse backgrounds. Adding the perspective of an ex-felon to the workforce can improve the workplace for all employees.
The federal government administers two
programs to incentivize employers to hire returning citizens. The Federal
Work Opportunity Tax Credit
[
https://des.az.gov/services/employment/employer-resources/work-opportunity-program-wotc]
ranges from $1,200 to $9,600 to partially reimburse employers who hire
returning citizens. The Department of Labor also provides employers
$5,000 in Fidelity Bond insurance for the first six months of employment
[
https://des.az.gov/services/employment/employers/federal-bonding-program].
While these programs will not solve all the fiscal problems associated
with a new hire, they are essential resources when hiring a returning
citizen.
If you are an employer and have positions
to fill, contact Arizona@Work at https://arizonaatwork.com/ or any local
Arizona@Work office. Those professionals will be glad to answer your
questions about hiring ex-offenders and help you post jobs for that
population.