PRISON FELLOWSHIP: employment

  Reentry can be difficult, but Joseff isn't giving up just yet.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of prisoners are released and return to society, and they need a second chance. The Church should be a place where they can easily find support and encouragement.

How do you find a job when you have a criminal record?

Does prison really ensure justice and maintain public safety? What is the relationship between incarceration and the economy in America?

Your incarcerated loved one is getting out of prison. This is what you've been waiting for. This is why you've run for second chances, signed petitions, and shared your family's story.

So how do you prepare for your loved one's reentry?

For many returning citizens, punishment does not end when they leave prison. Finding work becomes a daunting task and often an insurmountable barrier. Yet according to criminologists, work can be the critical difference between restoration and recidivism.

Welcome to Second Chance Month! Prison Fellowship® and our diverse group of partner organizations are raising awareness this month of the hardships former prisoners face upon their return to society. Will you join us?

A single question on a job application can disrupt a returning citizen's future: Have you ever been convicted of a felony?

Zane Tankel knows what it means to have a second chance.

The now-75 year old remembers growing up in a tough neighborhood in Patterson, New Jersey. A self-described “tough guy,” Tankel regularly skipped school, learning to fight, steal, and intimidate. “I went away for a little while as a kid,” he admits.

A new initiative in Iowa is encouraging employers to consider hiring men and women with criminal records, highlighting the positive impact such hires can have for businesses and for their communities.

The United States Attorney’s Office will be presenting a series of three workshops across northern Iowa to help assist former prisoners to find and keep employment.