Hartford Business Journal

28 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | March 28, 2022 FOCUS: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Can ex-offenders help solve CT's workforce shortage? Some nonprofits, employers and policymakers think so By Skyler Frazer sfrazer@hartfordbusiness.com T imothy Conaway was luckier than many ex-offenders when leaving his eight-year prison sentence for drug-related offenses: He had already established some professional connections and quickly found a job following incarceration. Many ex-offenders face a much tougher road back to reintegration. They simply need an opportunity, Conaway said. "Everybody deserves a chance, just one chance," Conaway said. "Let them show you they have the drive to work." As of March 1, Connecticut had 9,833 inmates incarcerated across 15 different facilities, according to data from the Department of Corrections (DOC). The DOC also tracks more than 2,000 formerly incarcerated individuals living in a halfway house or on some sort of parole. Amid a continuing workforce shortage, employment experts, reentry nonprofits and state policymakers are putting a greater focus on enhancing the job prospects of ex-offenders, an often stigmatized group that faces higher-than-average unemployment. A new study released in December by the U.S. Department of Justice found that of the 51,500 people released from federal prison in 2010, 33% did not find employment at any point four years after they left incarceration, and, at any given time, the group's overall employment rate didn't exceed 40%. In Connecticut, the unemployment rate for formerly incarcerated individuals is four to seven times higher than the general population, according to workforce development organization Entry Point Staffing. The state legislature's Commerce Committee is considering a bill that would task the Department of Economic and Community Development with evaluating workforce development programs for incarcerated people and those reentering public life after prison. The bill would also create an employer toolkit to facilitate ex-offenders' employment. The Connecticut Business & Industry Association is pushing the bill, viewing it as an opportunity to help both people in need of better job opportunities and the sectors of the economy facing workforce shortages. "A lot of the time this community is kind of overlooked," said Ashley Zane, a CBIA lobbyist. "There's so much talent within this pipeline that's underutilized, and if we can just get them in well-paying jobs, hopefully reduce recidivism, it's a win-win for everyone." Leaving prison Conaway, 51, was arrested in 1996 on drug distribution charges and spent eight years in prison before being released in 2005. Because of connections he made before and during prison, he quickly connected with Nafi, a youth and family social services organization, where he began working to get his life back on track. He stayed there for more than six years, working with children and families struggling with behavioral and mental health issues. When he was hired he was still on probation, Conaway said. "I was lucky — I was always a good dude even though I did what I did," Conaway said. "They gave me a shot." When he first got out of prison, Conaway said he participated in a program that helped prepare ex- offenders for employment with mock interviews, resume preparation, and job applications. Such programs are valuable to those leaving prison after several years, he said. "I knew some people who couldn't read," Conaway said. "A lot of guys let pride get in the way — if you let pride get in the way you'll never get the help." The number of people released from state Department of Corrections facilities varies from month to month. For example, in January, 587 people were released from DOC facilities, which was down 4% from a year earlier. In December and November, 656 and 658 people, respectively, were released, according to DOC data. Career Resources is one workforce development agency that helps returning citizens find and retain employment. In addition to training and case management support, the Bridgeport-based organization also employs ex- offenders through Entry Point Staffing, a division the agency established in 2020. Entry Point enters into service agreements with businesses and provides them workers, almost like long-term temps. Those businesses often go on to hire the individuals full time. "We link them with companies that are second-chance friendly," said Entry Point Staffing Director Lisa Tella. "We're not as concerned about what someone did in the past, we're focused on the future." Entry Point currently has contracts with 16 employers across the state, including the city of Bridgeport, and hopes to add a few more soon. Thirty people have gone through Entry Point to get employment so far, Tella said, and none have gone back to prison. Tella said people from practically all walks of life can go to prison, no matter their social status. "We had people who have MBAs from top business schools who have gone through the system, we have people who barely made it through middle school," Tella said. "We see a full array of backgrounds and experiences." Connecting resources CBIA's Zane said many employers aren't sure of the steps they need to go through in hiring formerly incarcerated people, so the state's largest business lobby is pushing the effort to connect these resources. "When we take a look at manufacturing alone – they're projecting a 6,000 job deficit per-year as we move forward," Zane said. "That's an industry that anyone with any background given the right skills and programming, can be really successful in." Zane said the CBIA hopes to work with the Department of Corrections and social service organizations to create a toolkit that has resources connecting ex-offenders with employers interested in hiring them. Helping the business community connect with nonprofit organizations that specialize in reentry programs is key, Zane said, as is sharing information and data. "Having this one-stop shop is really going to make things easier for them," Zane said. Joe Toner, president of the Greater Hartford-New Britain Building Trades Council, a local trade union representing 13 crafts with 30,000 members, said his group offers apprenticeship programs for those leaving incarceration and hoping to enter the construction field. After training, these employees can apply for apprenticeships with specific unions and get to work. "We give them 126 hours of core curriculum, and within that there's money management pieces, sexual harassment pieces — it's pretty extensive," said Toner, who is also business manager for Iron Workers Local 15. The building trades council contracted with the state corrections department and Department of Transportation to have some ex- offender trainees work on parts of the ongoing Windsor Locks Ashley Zane Lisa Tella Timothy Conaway is the co-founder of the youth support and mentorship nonprofit Training and Motivation Center. HBJ PHOTO | SKYLER FRAZER

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