Fair Opportunities Employment

Each year thousands of Minnesotans exit incarceration and come back into our community. Too often it feels that even though they have served their sentence, they are continually defined by that worst day, decision or moment. 

Ramsey County and the Workforce Innovation Board of Ramsey County are offering information, resources and events to help employers better understand the value of hiring individuals impacted by the criminal justice system.

Upcoming Events: 

• Power Within Us helps support young adults ages 16-24 who are currently on probation in Ramsey County connect to paid job training and education programs. Resource sessions are held every second Tuesday from 4-5:30 p.m. at Arlington Hills Community Center.  Learn more.
• Art from the Inside invites you to attend Shifting Perspectives, their upcoming exhibit at the Minneapolis Central Library. At the heart of this showcase are the Art and Wellness Fellows at MCF-Shakopee and MCF-Faribault. The exhibit opens Sunday, March 2 and runs through April 27. This series of events highlights the power of art in transforming perspectives and fostering dialogue around restoration and healing. Key Events:
  • Opening Reception & Film Screening – Sunday, March 2, 2–4:30 p.m. Register Here 
  • Exhibit Tours during Reentry Resource Fair – Wednesday, March 26, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
  • Art & Wellness Program – Saturday, March 29, 1–3:30 p.m. Register Here
  • "JUSTICE-REFORMED" Screening & Panel – Sunday, April 13, 2–4:30 p.m. Register Here
  • Closing Reception – Sunday, April 27, 3–4:30 p.m. Register Here
• Fair Chance Reentry Job Fair, March 18, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota, 553 Fairview Ave. N., St. Paul. Connect with over 25 fair-chance employers open to hiring justice-impacted individuals. This event is free and open to the public but focuses on people with a history of incarceration seeking employment. What to Expect:
  • 1-1 help from career navigators.
  • Resume and interview coaching.
  • Some employers are hiring on-the-spot, so dress professionally and bring your resume to share with employers.
  • Get your professional portrait taken.
  • On-site computer lab and space to rest between interviews.
• Coming Home Reentry Resource Fair, March 26, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Minneapolis Central Library. This is a resource fair for recently incarcerated residents in collaboration with Twin Cities R!SE. This family-friendly event will connect attendees to the support, tools and opportunities they need for a fresh start. Meet with Fair Chance employers, sign up for free job training programs, attend workshops, and enjoy refreshments. Metro Transit will provide free rides to and from the event
  
  

Employer Resources:

• Inclusive Employer Toolkit: Offers concrete practices to build diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplaces in the areas of staff recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and retention.
• Work Opportunity Tax Credit: A federal tax credit available to employers who invest in American job seekers in a WOTC targeted group who have consistently faced barriers to employment. 
• Research Supports Fair Chance Policies - released by the National Employment Law Project
• Federal Bonding Program: A U.S. Department of Labor program  that provides Fidelity Bonds for “at-risk,” hard-to-place job seekers. The bonds cover the first six months of employment at no cost to the job applicant or the employer.
• Twin Cities R!se Employer Fair Chance Hiring Guide
• Brennan Center for Justice: Conviction, Imprisonment and Lost Earnings Report
• Brennan Center For Justice: Lost Wages Fact Sheet
• Numbers We Cannot Ignore Presentation by Damon Drake
• Normalizing Opportunity: A Policy Agenda to Promote Economic Advancement for People with Criminal Records - released by Jobs for the Future
• Harvard Business Review: How Employers can Set Formerly Incarcerated Workers up for Success 
• Jobs for the Future Center for Justice & Economic Advancement: Breaking down systemic barriers and creating economic advancement for people with criminal records
• Indeed:  Indeed is committed to helping 30M people facing barriers get hired by 2030 
• Checkr’s Fair Chance Hub: Guides, articles and more on the topic of Fair Chance Hiring. 
• SHRM: Getting Talent Back to Work Certificate
• Bamboo HR: How Fair Chance Hiring Benefits Businesses and Candidates 
• Fair Opportunities Article Series:
  • March 2023 - Breaking Barriers to Fair Opportunities for job seekers and employers in Ramsey County
  • April 2023 - Breaking Barriers Through Art Creates Fair Opportunities
  • May 2023 - Fair Opportunities Connections Through Art and The Art of Healing
  • June 2023 - In Ramsey County, Ujamaa means Collaboration and Transformation
  • July 2023 - Mental Health, Character and Responsibility: Building a Bridge to Reentry
  • August 2023 - Intentional Hiring for Justice-Impacted Individuals
  • September 2023 - Department of Corrections: A Bridge to Employment Opportunities
  • October 2023 -  Relationships and Trust Necessary for Community Reentry
  • November 2023 - Wildflyer Coffee Brews Solutions for Youth Homelessness
  • December 2023 -Breaking Down Barriers for Justice Impacted Individuals is a Workforce Solution

Questions? Contact Rebecca.Milbrandt@ramseycounty.us.

The Fair Opportunities Hiring initiative is a collaboration between Ramsey County, the Workforce Innovation Board of Ramsey County and many community partners, including Alpha Emergence Behavioral Health, Art from the Inside, Repowered, Strive Staffing, Ujamaa Place and We Resolve.