Jobs for the Future (JFF)’s Post

The United States faces a glaring gap in skilled and entry-level workers. Companies are spending exorbitant amounts on recruiters and job boards to find talent. Meanwhile, in California alone, 10,000 people are released from prisons and jails every month, burdened by a scarlet letter on their resumes due to archaic background checks and the outdated belief that a past mistake defines their future. It’s time to change the narrative! Imagine the possibilities if we invest in companies, organizations, and individuals with criminal records. These untapped talents are being trained and are ready to bring fresh perspectives and innovation to the private sector. By eliminating bias, you’ll discover a goldmine of potential that can propel your organization to new heights. Join the movement to champion fair hiring practices and give everyone a fair chance to contribute their skills and passion to society. #FairChance #HiringPractices #FairChanceChampions #UnlockPotential #InnovateWithTalent

We're seeing the first hires of the new government and it's refreshing to see them recruit people not only fit for the role but also from outside the world of career politicians. One of my favourite placements is James Timpson as Prisons, Parole, and Probation Minister. Yes, the CEO of that high street store Timpsons you went to once when you needed new keys cut. Here's why I love him for it: 👍 He has been a passionate advocate for rehabilitation and hiring ex-offenders. This is an area he knows a lot about. 👍 He is an outstanding business leader. His business model combines commercial success with performing social good, showing it is possible to do both well. Imagine bringing this model to public services. 👍 He pioneered upside-down management. Devolving decision-making to individual stores giving them total authority and trust. He knows how to get the best out of teams and individuals. UK prisons are in dire straits. They're over-crowded and the conditions in many of them are atrocious. We obviously need prisons but at the same time it's obvious that our justice system isn't working. I'm hoping the hire of James Timpson is just one example of many to come of creatively sensible decision-making.

One of the most promising things to come out of the past few weeks is the appointment of James Timpson as Minister for Prisons. Timpsons are a shining example of how businesses can provide opportunities to ex offenders, helping them turn their lives around through training, mentorship and purpose. See the below piece for more details about the opportunities that exist in this space ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/em-bQCzZ

Have you checked out this article by Annick Platt, National Operations Director, Novus - Foundations for Change Innovative teaching methods in prisons: overcoming barriers to education https://lnkd.in/e-p6PTJk #PrisonEducation #OffenderLearning

One of the more interesting appointments in the The Labour Party ‘s new Ministerial team is James Timpson as Prisons Minister. Prisons, in case you don’t know, are in a mess: overcrowded, understaffed and so hopelessly poor at preparing prisoners for life outside that a majority reoffend within two years. Meanwhile, Timpson, supported by the last Government, set up a national network of Employer Boards for each prison to persuade companies to follow Timpsons model of recruiting directly from prisons. And I am very proud that the CEO of Norse Group, Justin Galliford BSc(Hons) MSc MBA DipMC , chairs the Employment Board for Norfolk prisons. But recruiting directly from prison is not just do-goodery. As James, and his superb Director of Inclusion, Darren B. explained when they came to speak at Social Club UK, this is good commercial practice too. It is now routine to see big employers scouring our prisons for talent. My own interest in prisons was catalysed back in 2018 when I first met Lee Wakeham , a former offender who wanted to set up a company selling pies and pasties that employed people leaving prison. That business, which we co-founded , became H.M.Pasties and we hope to welcome James Timpson this year on a Ministerial visit! The larger hope of all of us is that James’ appointment represents a fresh approach to prisons policy with a stronger accent on rehabilitation through employment, reducing the number of people serving pointless short sentences and moving more prisons towards a rehabilitation model. This is not the work of a single term but the hope will be that someone with deep credibility like James Timpson, who is at one remove from politics, will be able to move the dial. We wish James all the luck in the world. #rehabilitation #prisons #labour #ministers #policy #election24 #homeoffice #moj #nacro #socent #leadership #ceo #charities #employers #recruitment

The new government is making its first appointments, and it's a breath of fresh air to see them picking people who aren't just career politicians, but genuinely fit for their roles. One of my favourite choices is James Timpson as the new Minister for Prisons, Parole, and Probation. The same Timpson from the high street chain where you might have had your keys cut. Here’s a few reasons why I think this is a brilliant move: - Advocate for the cause of rehabilitating ex-offenders - Proven business leader at Timpsons - Family history of fostering (you really should read about that!) - Innovative trust-based management style UK prisons are in a shambles at the moment—overcrowded and in terrible condition. Clearly, our justice system needs a serious rethink. James Timpson’s appointment might just be the first sign of more smart, innovative decisions to come. Here’s hoping it sets a new trend.

Incarcerated workers in American prisons generate billions of dollars worth of goods and services annually but are paid pennies per hour without proper training or opportunity to build skills for careers after release, according to a comprehensive nationwide report released by the American Civil Liberties Union and University of Chicago Law School Global Human Rights Clinic today. The first-of-its-kind report, Captive Labor: Exploitation of Incarcerated Workers, examines the use of prison labor throughout state and federal prisons in the U.S. and highlights how incarcerated workers’ labor helps maintain prisons and provides vital public services. Captive Labor also calls for far-reaching reforms to ensure prison labor is truly voluntary and that incarcerated workers are paid fairly, properly trained, and able to gain transferable skills. https://lnkd.in/dzye5dvt

This Giving Day, we encourage you to express your commitment to peace, social justice, and racial equity. Show your support for CSRPC's newest initiative, Beyond Prisons, which presents a groundbreaking approach to community-centered pedagogy, research, cultural production, and civic engagement. Beyond Prisons transcends prison confines to reach the communities most impacted by mass incarceration. #GivingDay #CSRPC #BeyondPrisons #SocialJustice #RacialEquity #CommunityEngagement #MassIncarceration #HigherEducation #StudentEngagement #TransformativeLearning Central to the initiative are mixed enrollment classes that bring incarcerated students together with U Chicago undergrads to learn side-by-side. In the words of one recent UChicago student, “The mixed enrollment course has been the best class I have ever taken... [it] is very real, and the discussions and tasks we complete have direct relation to the worlds we live in....[it] unlocked a side to me that I didn't know existed.” We invite you to demonstrate your support for CSRPC and join us in spreading the transformative power of students learning together, breaking down barriers and divisions. Giving Day kicks off on Tuesday, March 26th.

Week 4 Content Creation Brief 🗄️ My final Content Creation Brief from Mindless Academy is about the working conditions of offenders in prisons in relation to SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. There is a discussion of the substantially low rate of pay received; the impacts of low wages; actions that can contribute to improvements; and a list of businesses to support that employ prison leavers. The pains of imprisonment theory suggests that offenders are deprived of liberty, autonomy, security, relationships, and goods and services. Offering them a rate of pay that is severely below the National Minimum Wage further deprives them of opportunities to desist from crime after release due to low finances. This results in a cycle of crime that is extremely difficult to exit without strong support networks and career prospects. The purpose of this brief is to increase education within communities about the disproportionate pay within prisons and increase support for companies that offer employment to prison leavers. Laurie Stewart, Georgia Knell, Dekan Apajee

Traditional college degrees may help LOWER recidivism, but it doesn't get us closer to SOLVING it... Foregoing traditional education and helping returning citizens go from prisons cells to CEOs should be a superior alternative in our reentry efforts... https://lnkd.in/d9q9Jvna #secondchances #reentry #reentrymatters #justiceimpacted #formerlyincarcerated #entrepreneurshipeducation #entrepreneur #massincarceration #endmassincarceration #policy #policychange #policyreform #policyadvocacy #policymakers