2020 Year End Newsletter

We want to discover how the construction industry can be more inclusive of underserved populations, including those who are formerly incarcerated, and help address any employment barriers identified in their study.

Jobs matter yet most every profession throws up needless barriers that keep those who have been to prison from accessing and keeping one. This is doubly pernicious given how BIPOC men and women are over-represented in our carceral system.

What’s Next Washington offered me a venue to change the narrative – for the formerly incarcerated and for our society – from the get go. I/we have been honored to help.

Given this data, employers would do well to shift their approach to hiring candidates with conviction histories, especially those who have been to jail or prison. Policies and processes must be based on data and peer-reviewed research. Doing otherwise, is simply discriminatory.

In some cases, laws, regulations, and occupational licensing rules restrict employers. It is time for a thorough, systems-based review and repeal or amendment of these hiring barriers. There is no evidence that they keep us safe. To the contrary, the information shows that they keep qualified people from working in the careers of their choice, they keep employers from the talent they need, and they harm, rather than enhance, public safety.

To make the necessary changes, employers need better tools to recruit, hire, and retain job candidates with conviction histories. This Guide provides those tools. In addition, the Guide describes ways employers and people with conviction histories can work together to build the case for regulatory change.

The Guide is divided into two major sections: Part 1 describes the impact of mass incarceration on employment. It delves into the “how we got here,” “why to hire,” and “what to expect.” Part 2 addresses the “how to” of hiring people with conviction histories. We provide practical tools for bringing on qualified talent while maintaining workplace safety and productivity.

About Us — What’s Next Washington
What’s Next Washington (WNW) is a nonprofit organization of formerly incarcerated individuals and allies working to help people with conviction histories reintegrate into society and achieve long-term economic stability. We believe that everyone is entitled to a life of dignity and full participation in society, that those closest to a problem are closest to the solutions, and that stakeholder collaboration is the most efficient and innovative way to solve complex problems.

Our mission and values led us to develop our Partnering for an Inclusive Workforce Project (PIWP). Designed by those directly impacted by incarceration, the PIWP helps employers recruit, hire, and retain FIT™ (Formerly Incarcerated Talent) and others with conviction histories.

A New Way to Approach an Old Problem
This Guide is written by a formerly incarcerated person, Susan Mason, and a former employment law judge, Roz Solomon. They bring their unique lived experience and knowledge with them to this work.

The Guide is designed for HR leaders, recruiters, talent specialists, interviewers, hiring managers, and others who want to use the most current tools for evaluating candidates with conviction histories.

The contents of this Guide arose from conversations with employers of all sizes, from all sectors, during What’s Next Washington’s workshops called employer convenings. The four-hour sessions have included input from HR and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Directors, employment and general counsel, corporate executives, and community partners. Almost all of them want to change their hiring practices, but need more information to safely and appropriately do so.

We believe this Guide will prove to be a useful tool to help you change recruiting, hiring, and retention policies and practices within your organization, and help you build a diverse and productive workplace.

The Guide is divided into two sections. The first section is primarily informational. It describes the growth of the background check industry and the ballooning of employer and government-based restrictions on hiring people with conviction histories. An exploration of the data will help dispel fears about hiring people with violent, financial, or sex convictions. Finally, it illustrates how the unequal impact of mass incarceration on Black, Brown and Native communities has made it difficult for employers to meet their DEI goals.

The second section provides a manual, with detailed tools and recommendations on how to successfully recruit, hire, and retain people with conviction histories. The questions and checklists are designed to help employers build a diverse and engaged workforce and maintain a safe and productive workplace.

Increase Opportunities
People with conviction histories exist on a spectrum — just as all people do. They range from having little experience or training to being career-ready and career-capable. From janitors and clerks, to attorneys and endocrinologists, each should be fairly assessed for the position you are trying to fill.

Questions Answered by This Guide

Why should I consider hiring these candidates?
In the U.S., at current rates, 100 million adults will have a conviction history by 2030, which means you either will not be able to avoid hiring people from this demographic or you will be significantly limiting your pool of available talent to hire. You need the ability to properly evaluate job candidates with conviction histories.

What’s the risk?
It’s less than you think. People with conviction histories are motivated, high-performing and loyal employees. In Chapter X, we provide data that shows people with conviction histories almost never pose a risk at the workplace. In Chapter X, we show why concerns about insurance coverage and negligent hiring liability are generally unfounded and show what employers can do to protect themselves from negligent hiring claims.

How worried should I be about the type of crime?
In Chapter X, we explain why people with a record of violent, financial, or sex offense convictions almost never pose a risk of reoffending at the workplace. We also provide specific examples of what information you should seek in an interview to ensure you’re making an informed and safe choice.

How do I evaluate the work history of someone who was recently released from jail or prison?
People work in prison. In fact, people can be promoted, supervise others, and lead teams. We explain in Chapter X.

How can our company successfully integrate people with conviction histories into the workplace?
Employers need to be prepared if they wish to benefit from the dynamism and creativity that diversity brings to the workplace. In Chapter X, we explain how to create a welcoming culture and increase retention through engagement programs, third-party wrap-around support services, and protection of employee privacy.

How can I do my part to address systemic inequality?
Over-incarceration and criminalization is its own problem. In the U.S., one in three Black men, and one in six Latino men, will be incarcerated in their lifetimes. Given this level of disproportionate over-incarceration of people of color, you can make an impact and meet your DEI goals by recruiting and retaining FIT in your workforce.

We believe this Guide will prove to be an invaluable resource as you build the diverse, safe, and productive workplace you want.

Terminology
Keep the distinction between two frequently used terms in mind as you read the Get FIT Guide: People with conviction histories and formerly Incarcerated talent, or FIT.

FIT is a designation for anyone who has served time in jail or prison. The great majority of convictions in the United States are for minor offenses and do not require time in jail or prison. Punishments for these low-level offenses are fines, house arrest, electronic monitoring, probation, or a combination.

While not all people with conviction histories could be classified as FIT, anyone convicted in a court of law can be classified as a person with a conviction history.

All people with conviction histories are subjected to collateral consequences that impair their ability to obtain an education, secure housing, or find employment long after they have served their sentences.

Please see the Glossary for a more comprehensive definition of criminal law terms and definitions. You will find links to this Glossary throughout the guide.

COPYRIGHT 2020 What’s Next Washington 

Once I heard your amazing story, and the stories of others, I knew that this was an organization that I wanted to become involved with. The roofing industry is challenged with labor shortages at every level. Your efforts to give people a second chance is perfectly aligned with our efforts to identify and train qualified roofing professionals. 

 The synergy between the GAF Roofing Academy & WNW is absolutely perfect. It is my understanding that we have already begun to train transitioning individuals, and our future plans to continue these efforts will be ongoing. 

Thank you for all that you do to support and place these deserving individuals into the workforce. 

I appreciate and respect this organization and the people behind it. I have worked closely with WNW to develop curriculum for health sciences students and to help change the way that patient care is delivered within the hospital and out in the community. This has led to exciting projects and outcomes that impact both student and clinician perceptions of people with histories of incarceration, housing insecurity, addiction, and mental illness.

Each time WNW is involved in my work, I truly believe it is higher quality and higher impact than if they weren’t there.

The future for healthcare is collaborating with directly impacted organizations. Health care providers are no longer the sole experts in an interaction, and the voices of patients and community members are crucial for the delivery of high quality care.

The personal experiences of the organization’s staff and volunteers is harnessed in a powerful way to effectively make this kind of multi-level change. Their broad focus includes changing individual attitudes as well as institutional, local, and national policies. It is impressive and impactful.

Thank you for all you do. It’s truly been a highlight of the last couple of years to connect and collaborate with WNW. I’ve learned so much, and just plain enjoy you all! I hope there’s more to come as we get back into the swing of things in this wild world.