One in three working-age adults as a criminal history, reducing the number of callbacks for job opportunities by 50%. A 2022 study by RAND Corporation found that by age 35, 64% of unemployed American men had some for of criminal record, but this accounts only for those who were actively looking for working. It’s likely an even larger volume of prime-age adults in Michigan have dropped out of the workforce entirely because of the barriers presented by a criminal history.
West Michigan employers should take advantage of the opportunity to hire returning citizens and reconsider restrictive policies they have against hiring people with criminal histories. This practice addresses a variety of problems for employers and communities alike. This report highlights leading practices for how to hire from this talent pool.
In addition to TalentFirst’s report below, TalentFirst, in partnership with Calvin University and Michigan Department of Corrections, runs a second chance hiring microcredential — Hiring Formerly Incarcerated Individuals. This is a 3-part program including an asynchronous online course followed by a prison education program visit and an interactive in-person workshop. Learn more here .