Washington, D.C. — States across the nation have made significant contributions to supporting formerly incarcerated youth reentry into the workforce. A new issue brief from the Center for American Progress highlights how states have modeled four key actions to ensure a transition toward stability for formerly incarcerated youth.
Young adults ages 18 to 24 face unique barriers to employment, including lack of proper identification, lack of access to safety net programs, inadequate support to gain work experience and find employment, and restrictive employment laws that can allow discrimination based on prior offense records.
This issue brief highlights four key actions states have taken to strengthen employment opportunities for formerly incarcerated youth, including:
- Guaranteeing access to identification upon release
- Ensuring access to a social safety net that provides financial stability and enables employment
- Adequately funding and structuring workforce development programs dedicated to formerly incarcerated young adults
- Enacting employment policies that facilitate fair access to the labor market
“State and local policymakers have the opportunity to diminish the barriers young adults reentering society too often face when looking for jobs,” said David Correa, research assistant for Inclusive Economy and author of the brief. “It’s pivotal that policymakers prioritize policies that provide holistic support for young people at all stages of their justice involvement to foster their ambitions and build stronger, safer communities.”
Read the issue brief: “4 Ways States and Localities Are Improving Employment Outcomes for Reentering Young Adults” by David Correa
For more information on this topic or to speak with an expert, please contact Sarah Nadeau at [email protected].