County reentry staff ask public and employers to share job leads for people with records

During the meeting, DeAndre Brown and partners pressed for employer leads and described outreach plans to increase second-chance hiring. Brown asked anyone in the room to identify available jobs or contracts that would place people returning from custody into paid work promptly. "If anyone knows where those jobs lie, please let our office know so we can get some people rapidly enrolled and engaged and working," he said.

Presenters and partners noted some sectors and employers are already 'felony friendly' (construction, certain healthcare roles under Medicaid changes) and suggested certification steps (for example OSHA 10) that can increase candidate employability. Staff said they will contact the chamber to ask for direct listings and speak with temporary staffing contractors to explore faster placements.

Will Richardson and other nonprofit partners described small-scale employer engagement and youth recognition programs that build positive incentives early. Commissioners signaled willingness to include concrete job and training numbers in budget deliberations and to seek partnerships that can expand hiring opportunities for people with records.

Next steps include the Office of Reentry reaching out to the chamber and to temporary agencies and circulating a list of target employers and certification pathways to commissioners and nonprofits.