career pathways for a Livable waGe
Mobilizing Employers
The Colorado Fair Chance Hiring Initiative’s vision is to mobilize employers who are dedicated to fair chance hiring so that justice impacted individuals can connect to career pathways that provide a livable wage.
This initiative will catalyze employment opportunities for those reentering society after finishing their prison sentence, which will:
Reduce Recidivism
Improve Public Safety
Boost Colorado’s Economy
The Colorado Fair Chance Hiring Initiative recruits employers to become fair chance employers and deploys a variety of engagement strategies and trainings to ensure that each employer has what they need to successfully implement these practices.
Once employers are ready to begin hiring, we connect employers directly with reentry community partners (non-profits) and other workforce development organizations that can serve as employee pipelines for the employers.
Every employer becomes eligible for our Fair Chance Employer Network where we provide continued support for their fair chance hiring initiatives, connect employers to HonestJobs, provide guidance on the Work Opportunity Tax Credit and Federal bonding programs, and build a community of practice that will make Colorado the national leader in fair chance hiring.
How the Initiative Works
Why fair chance hiring matters
Fair chance hiring is the practice of employers hiring people with criminal records. It is built on the premise that everyone deserves fair consideration for jobs for which they are qualified.
Nearly 1 in 3 U.S. adults have criminal records — that’s approximately 70 million Americans. When these individuals attempt to re-enter the working world post-incarceration, they often face immense employment barriers. In fact, analysis shows that formerly incarcerated people are unemployed at a rate of over 27 percent—higher than the total U.S. unemployment rate during any historical period, including the Great Depression.
The costs, both human and financial, are staggering. And yet more than half of the 600,000 people released from prisons and jails every year will end up back behind bars. The biggest factor? They can’t find a job.
There are three key benefits to implementing fair chance hiring at your place of work:
Create a More Diverse and Inclusive Workplace
Employers looking to take action on their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) can make fair chance hiring a core part of their strategies. In the United States, minorities are disproportionately arrested and incarcerated. African Americans are incarcerated at more than five times the rate of white Americans (six times for drug charges). And while African Americans and Hispanics only make up approximately 32% of the general population in the US, they account for more than half (52%) of total people incarcerated. With 1-in-3 Americans having a criminal record, you could be leaving out 33% of the workforce which negatively impacts inclusion strategies.
Gain A Competitive Advantage
In the wake of the Great Resignation and a national unemployment rate of 3.7%, it’s a candidate’s market. By embracing fair chance hiring practices, you extend your potential candidate pool to a mostly untapped group of diverse, talented, and eager talent.
Reduce Turnover & Increase Retention
Fair chance hiring practices offer a significant return on investment, both from a performance and retention perspective. According to a recent SHRM survey, 80% of managers surveyed said the value workers with criminal records bring to their organization is just as high (or higher) than workers without a criminal record, and a study found that over a four-year period, fair chance employees had a 43% higher retention rate than employees without a criminal record. Additionally, employers who hire those with criminal records are eligible for cost savings through the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC).