Second Chance Month: Expanding Virginia’s Workforce
April is Second chance Month, a time to highlight the many opportunities to connect formerly incarcerated individuals with meaningful and gainful employment.
Virginia currently faces a labor market deficit, with only 47 workers available for every 100 job openings. Meanwhile, nearly 10,000 individuals are released from Virginia’s prisons each year and are tasked with the challenge of finding employment. Amid the state’s critical shortage, employers are presented with an opportunity to bridge the gap with second chance hiring.
Despite common misconceptions, research suggests second chance employees bring an unmatched value to the workplace: 85% of human resource professionals and 81% of business leaders report that individuals with criminal records perform the same as, or better than, employees without records. Second chance employment has proven to be an effective strategy that offers benefits to both employers and the broader community by expanding the workforce, reducing recidivism and fostering economic growth.
Fair Chance Employment Learning Modules
As we recognize Second Chance Month, join Virginia Consensus for “Getting Talent Back to Work,” a self-paced SHRM eLearning module. This no-cost, 10-video module comes with an interactive printable workbook and focuses on fair chance employment practices and implementing them in the workplace.
Throughout the month-long course, participants will have multiple opportunities to attend virtual sessions, connecting them with industry professionals and community leaders that are similarly dedicated to helping justice-impacted individuals successfully reintegrate into society. At the end of module, learners will come together for a Zoom discussion featuring a panel of formerly incarcerated individuals and HR professionals who will share their personal experiences with navigating fair chance employment practices.
To learn more and register for the free course, click here.
Virginia Consensus on the Road!
All April long, the Virginia Consensus team is on the road, participating in and attending several events focused on championing higher education in prison and second chance hiring. Follow along our journey on LinkedIn and Instagram.
Second Chance Forum: Creating Opportunities for People, Employers and Communities
April 1 | UVA Darden Sands Family Grounds in Arlington, VA
Virginia Consensus organizer Kenneth Hunter participated in a panel to discuss efforts to strengthen second chance employment statewide by increasing education opportunities for justice-impacted individuals.
New Horizons Conference, Virginia’s Community Colleges
April 2-4 | Hotel Roanoke in Roanoke, VA
Hunter presented: Education & Incarceration: A Path to Redemption during this premier gathering for teaching, learning, and innovation across Virginia’s community colleges.
Inaugural HBCU Prison Education Summit
April 4-5 | Bowie State University in Bowie, MD
Virginia Consensus director Terri Erwin, PhD attended and tabled this inaugural education summit aimed at building a prison-to-HBCU pipeline. This pipeline will establish a network of Historically Black Colleges and Universities that provide justice impacted individuals-incarcerated and formally incarcerated-with access to higher education, holistic reentry services and opportunities for personal and professional development.
Holy Family Church, Prison & Reentry Summit: Open the Door to Mercy
April 5 | Church of the Holy Family in Virginia Beach, VA
Hunter presented during this two-day Prison & Reentry Summit dedicated to fostering successful reentry of returning citizens and highlighting the past, current and future of the Virginia Correctional System.
Southern Higher Education in Prison Collective
April 6-8 | New Orleans, LA
Dr. Erwin participated in a strategic planning steering committee.
National Conference on Higher Education in Prison
April 9-11 | New Orleans, LA
Hunter and Dr. Erwin attended this 14th annual conference, which will center around the theme, “A New Era? Pell Reinstatement and the Future of Prison Education.
Hampton Roads Social Justice Conference
April 15-16 | Christopher Newport University in Newport, VA
Hunter will participate in a panel discussion and Dr. Erwin will attend and table to showcase the Virginia Consensus. The goal of this conference is to bring together researchers, policy makers, elected officials, non-profit organizations, community activists, business leaders, the faith community and all others from across Virginia who are working on pressing social justice issues in our region.
Formerly Incarcerated Executive Leadership Development (FIELD) Fellows Program Retreat
April 17-19 | Burnsville, NC
Hunter, a FIELD 2025 Fellow, will participate in this expert-led training experience that empowers system-impacted leaders in their work, while fostering networks to drive equity and transformative impact.