Second Chance Employers Network

These companies have created fair chance hiring 

Here at Jails to Jobs we get regular phone calls from companies asking how they can become second chance employers and hire workers who were formerly incarcerated. And we tell them that the best thing they can do is to learn from those who have already done it.

There are many ways to operate a second chance hiring program, each as unique as the people who put it together. We’ve created a new resource — the Second Chance Employers Network — to inspire employers as they consider starting one of their own.

We’re including the stories of a variety of second chance employers, from small to large. And in industries ranging from restaurants and recyclers to employment agencies and manufacturers. You’ll learn what their businesses are all about, how they created second chance hiring, and what they learned in the process.

If you’d like more information, many of them will be happy to talk to you. Most people doing this work feel they’re part of an important movement that is helping create a more diverse workforce and a more equitable and just society.

This is definitely a work in progress, and we’re just getting started. If you — or anyone you know — has a similar story to share, please contact us, and we’d be happy to include you and others in this resource.

Note: Wait for pins to drop on map before starting your search. These locations are the headquarters of each company. Be sure to review the Workforce location(s) included with each listing and highlighted in the list below, as some companies have multiple locations and, in some cases, operate nationally.

Company nameWorkforce location(s)
All Star Labor & StaffingOregon and Mesa, AZ
Awake Window & Door Co.Arizona, California and Texas
Black Power RedevelopersBlack Power RedevelopersOmaha, NE
Breaking Free IndustriesSanta Ana, CA
Caudill Seed Co.Louisville, Morehead and Winchester, KY
Crossroads Solar South Bend, IN
Eastside Fish FryLansing, MI
Expedited Transport AgencyVestavia Hills, AL
Flagger ForceFlagger ForceEast and Southeast U.S.
Frontier Co-opNorth Liberty and Norway, IA
Greyston BakeryYonkers, NY
Georgia Pacific logoGeorgia PacificNational
Honest Jobs Austin, TX
I Have a Bean/Second Chance Coffee Wheaton, IL
Indeed Austin, TX; New York; San Francisco; San Mateo, CA; Seattle; and Stamford, CT. Plus, international offices.
John Hopkins logoJohns Hopkins MedicineBaltimore, MD
Kelly 33 Kelly Services, Inc. National
Kentucky Dam Village State Resort ParkGilbertsville, KY
LeafGuardNational
Manufacturing Institute logoThe Manufacturing InstituteWashington, D.C.
MOD Super Fast Pizza LLC. National
Pacific Artisan LabsPacific Artisan LabsPortland, OR
Denver, CO
Greensboro, NC
Radius RecyclingU.S., western Canada and Puerto Rico
RecycleForce Indianapolis, IN
R&R Head LabsDenver, CO
Rhino FoodsBurlington and Williston, VT
Spir Candle Co.Seattle, WA
Tech Valley ShuttleGreater Albany, NY
Union Pacific logoUnion Pacific RailroadNational
U.S. Rubber Recycling Colton, CA
Vinyl Kraft Windows and DoorsNew Boston, OH
Waste ProAlabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, and North and South Carolina
Working FieldsVermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts

Learn about other second chance employers

The Second Chance Business Coalition is an organization of more than 50 major corporations dedicated to “expanding opportunities to employment and greater upward mobility for people with criminal records.”

White House Fair Chance Business Pledge

The Obama White House created the Fair Chance Business Pledge in 2015. This initiative encourages businesses to offer employment opportunities to those who have been impacted by the criminal justice system. Companies, organizations and educational institutions that have signed it are listed below. And, once you decide to establish second chance hiring practices, you can sign it too.

SCA Grantee Program Map

National Reentry Resource Center (NRRC) – Maintains a directory of all current Second Chance Act grantees around the country and has compiled a comprehensive reentry grant profile for each state.