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DEW expands ‘second‑chance’ reentry program; committee asks about hiring barriers
Summary
The department described a program placing staff inside work-release facilities to train detainees; Stanton said nearly 75% of participants in one pilot earned wages after release and the department expanded the approach to a women's facility.
Cheryl Stanton described a second‑chance program run under Wagner-Peyser in partnership with the Department of Corrections and local partners. She said the department placed a staff person inside a work-release program for about 60 days before release, reported roughly a 75% employment rate for participants and said the approach was expanded to a women's facility this month.
Lawmakers raised concerns about employer reluctance to hire people with incarceration histories and asked whether expungement resolves hiring barriers. Stanton said some employers will not hire ex-offenders for regulatory or legal reasons, so DEW maintains lists of employers willing to be "2nd chance" employers and educates job-seekers about tax credits and federal bonding that can reduce employer risk.
