The Georgia General Assembly is reviewing bipartisan legislation to help incarcerated individuals find employment upon their release.
Senate Bill 147 would provide inmates with the documentation most commonly needed to find a job. A few senators with Richmond and Columbia County affiliations are pushing to get it done.
The bill is sponsored by Michael “Doc” Rhett (D-33), and cosponsors, include Minority Leader Harold Jones (D-22), Republicans Max Burns (23rd District), and Lee Anderson (24th District).
The legislation calls for creating a paper trail to provide inmates when they are released. It will include a birth certificate and Social Security card to help prove their identity. They will also be given copies of all vocational training including any trade learned while incarcerated, their work record, and a resume.
Charlotte Garnes, founder of ReNforce, a local nonprofit organization that helps individuals impacted by the justice system, said that it can open doors to gainful employment.
“So many times when you’re incarcerated, you forget about the stuff that you do, and it’s a lot of times things aren’t necessarily documented the way it should,” she told ABD. “So, creating that paper trail and then giving it to them upon their release so they can have it sets precedents, and that sets the tone for so much. A lot of the weight of the world is taken off their shoulders. It is reducing not only the stress, is reducing the stigma around being formerly incarcerated.”
While the benefit to inmates is apparent, it can also help businesses struggling to find employees to fill job openings. Chris Clark, Chamber President, and CEO, has frequently identified formerly incarcerated individuals as one of the most underutilized talent pools in the state.
“And you say, ‘I don’t want to hire any of them.’ Well, that’s half the workforce,” he told attendees at the 2024 New Georgia Economy Tour that concluded in Augusta.
The United States Chamber of Commerce has also recognized the need to help those who have been incarcerated find jobs as quickly as possible. It supports the Second Chance Business Coalition (SCBC), a coalition of private sector companies committed to second-chance hiring practices.
One of the programs highlighted by SCBC is the Georgia Justice Project, an organization started more than 35 years ago to support previously incarcerated individuals and those impacted by the justice system in the Peach State.
Angie Cox, President and CEO of the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce, said they are always looking for ways to engage people who are not participating in the workforce, including the justice-impacted group.
“It’s about breaking down the obstacles in order to re-engage them and making it more attractive for them to be working and to be a contributing member of society,” she said. “We’ve had success with a couple of grants where we have partnered with First Step Staffing and Augusta Tech to host many boot camps to get them quick certifications, OSHA, forklift, etc., and they automatically become employable. Because I totally agree, I do think that is an untapped market, and we’re willing and open to anything.”
Garnes understands the challenge of finding employment after incarceration. She served 46 months in federal prison in connection to a Medicaid fraud case. She realizes a percentage of those being released will return to criminal activity, but the goal is to extend a hand to those that want to change.
She also believes helping those motivated to find employment is cost-effective and it will save the state money by reducing the costs associated with law enforcement, courts, and incarceration.
“It’s going to reduce the recidivism. It’s going to get them immediately back into society, immediately working, immediately able to reintegrate and to start getting the help or the support that they need,” she explained. “It is giving society a way to be able to bridge that gap. So, let’s welcome them home, and let’s welcome them home with some of the things that they need in order for them to be successful.”
Cox understands some employers may be skeptical and that hiring a formerly incarcerated individual might not be a perfect fit for every employer.
“But I do think that there is an opportunity, and you can look at some of the success stories and some of the statistics where you have seen reintegration of previously incarcerated or justice-impacted folks, where they really value the position and value the opportunity to work. So, you’re not really taking a chance on them because they’ve served their time and been vetted, she said.”
ReNforce offers training and coaching programs to business owners interested in hiring justice-impacted people. Information is available at https://renforce.org/.
More information about SCBC is available on the U.S. Chamber’s website:
https://www.uschamber.com/workforce/employer-guide-to-second-chance-hiring-programs-and-tax-credits
