(NewsNation) — Amid a tight job market, a program is helping recruit people with criminal records, giving them a second chance at a career.
At least 600,000 inmates are released from prison each year and according to a 2018 report, about 27% of them are unemployed. The Second Chance Business Coalition promotes the benefits of second-chance employment. Leading the hiring are major companies like JP Morgan Chase, American Airlines, AT&T, CVS and Union Pacific. Last year, more than 10% of JPMorgan Chase’s new hires had been formerly incarcerated, and many of them are now tellers at branches.
Dan LaVallee leads the work they do at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Health Plan’s – Pathways to Work Program. Watch his full interview with “Morning in America” in the player above.
“It makes us a better community. We are in Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood after all, all he wanted us to do was live our authentic selves and that’s how we know feel with individuals and that makes us you know who we are here in western PA,” LaVallee said.
You can learn more about the program here.