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More Work to Do on Fair Chance Hiring

Author Angela Hanks urges employers to take steps to implement fair chance hiring opportunities to ensure that more individuals with criminal records can enter the workforce.

Decades of policies promoting mass incarceration in the United States have exacted a devastating toll across the country: Today, an estimated one in three Americans has a criminal record.

A criminal record can serve as a permanent barrier to economic security. People with criminal records face persistent challenges accessing essential services, such as housing, education, food assistance, and employment. People of color – who, because of targeted policies, racial and ethnic bias, and other structural disadvantages – are more likely to have a criminal record, and even more likely to face barriers to these services.

The above excerpt was originally published in Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity. Click here to view the full article.

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Authors

Angela Hanks

Former Director, Workforce Development Policy