UNTAPPED TALENT
In his book, “Untapped Talent” Jeff Korzenik will help you:
Understand what goes into a successful second chance hire, from the support that will be needed internally to the resources that are available from outside agencies.
Learn how businesses from a variety of industries have instituted successful second chance hiring programs and how this has positively impacted their culture and bottom line.
Gain practical onboarding and coaching strategies that will help ensure a smooth transition and a productive, happy new employee.
Acquire relevant knowledge of the criminal justice system to provide context in identifying the potential of second chance hiring.
Your path to a loyal, engaged, and productive workforce starts with the clear competitive advantage you’ll gain by implementing the second-chance hiring practices within Untapped Talent.
PEOPLE FIXING THE WORLD, A BBC PODCAST
30-2-2 and its partner organizations have long shared a passion for second chances. This 30 minute podcast released in November 2020 highlights some of these organizations, their passion, and their purpose for helping returning citizens in our community.
State imprisonment rate
For state-specific information, please use the below link to connect to The Sentencing Project. Here you will find various interactive data on the state(s) of your choosing.
VOCATIONAL VILLAGE
The Vocational Village is a first-of-its-kind skilled trades training program that prepares prisoners for careers in high demand fields. The first Vocational Village site opened at Richard A. Handlon Correctional Facility in Ionia in 2016 and offers training in welding, CNC machining, automotive technology, plumbing, carpentry and electrical. A second Vocational Village site opened at Parnall Correctional Facility in Jackson in 2017 and provides training in CNC machining, robotics, commercial truck driving, carpentry, concrete/masonry, automotive technology and tree trimming. The third Vocational Village is in the construction phase and will be at the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility.
Prisoners have full days of hands on and classroom instruction intended to mock a typical workday outside prison walls. Each student receives state and national recognized certifications in their trade and when able, stack-able credentials are offered to help make the students more marketable. Prisoners also participate in employment readiness courses that can help lead them to a successful career. All prisoners in the Vocational Villages live together in the same housing unit that is focused on education and success
MI TALENT CONNECT
Pure Michigan Talent Connect and Michigan Works locations have numerous resources to help employers and potential employees. With information from licensing and regulatory affairs to job search tips and WOTC information.
NATIONAL REENTRY RESOURCE CENTER
Administered and funded by the US Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs and Bureau of Justice Assistance, the NRRC provides news, resources, events, and webinars on topics surrounding reentry.
CALVIN PRISON INITIATIVE
Calvin University located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in partnership with Calvin Theological Seminary, created the Calvin Prison Initiative with a mission to provide a Christian liberal arts education to inmates in the Michigan Department of Corrections.
LEADING PRACTICES
In 2017, TalentFirst (formerly Talent2025) published “Leading Practices for Hiring Returning Citizens” out of work by their Returning Citizens Working Group.
RETURNING CITIZENS MAP
In 2018, Calvin University students began creating an interactive map of valuable resources for returning citizens. The map includes resources throughout all 83 Michigan counties.
TAYLOR MADE REENTRY
Dee Dee Taylor is the oldest sister of Breonna Taylor and local Grand Rapids, Michigan resident. Taylor Made Reentry’s mission is to “advocate and provide resources to men and women returning home from incarceration” offering programs, case management, development plans, support through community partners, and more.
crime labels
Understand your local or state criminal code, or have a mechanism for reviewing criminal code definitions. Often the “title” that pops up on a background check is limiting and may be intimidating. In Michigan, the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony is only where a person serves time and for how long. What crime labels do not tell anyone - not the public, not policymakers, not employers - is whether someone will engage in the same behavior, or another destructive behavior, in the future. Below is a link to the State of Michigan’s Penal Code definitions.
NEW LIFE CARD
The New Life Card is a restoration project available to returning citizens in partnership with Christian Leaders Institute and Peacefire. This card offers three distinct opportunities to participants: educational opportunities, employment opportunities, and mentor/life-coaching opportunities.
GETTING TALENT BACK TO WORK
SHRM’s “Getting Talent Back to Work” initiative in provides employers with a toolkit including legal information, compliance, risk analysis, negligent hiring information, interviewing and assessment information, and much more. Additionally, there is an opportunity to sign their pledge, earn certification, and complete an assessment of current practices.
TALENT 2025: WEBINARS
Talent 2025 conducted research to understand workforce barriers in West Michigan. Significant barriers to the workforce include having a criminal background and reentry after incarceration. Returning Citizens are a significant part of the region’s talent pool, because 1 in 3 American adults has a criminal record. It is estimated that 1,400 individuals will return to West Michigan from incarceration each year. Their successful reentry into society benefits the economy and stabilizes communities. Talent 2025’s Returning Citizen Committee is part of its Workforce Development Working Group. The Committee has the three following objectives: 1. Increase the number of individuals exiting prison with a state-issued ID 2. Raise awareness for and highlight leading hiring practices and strategies for employers hiring returning citizens 3. Increase the number of employers committed to hiring returning citizens This video was created to draw attention to the first objective: a lack of state identification for returning citizens. It is Talent 2025’s goal to improve or restructure the inter-agency partnership between Michigan’s Departments of Corrections and State for issuing state IDs to returning citizens prior to release. Proper identification is critical for successful reentry to society.