MHI Solutions Improving Supply Chain Performance
More than 19 million Americans—8% of all adults in the U.S.—bear a felony conviction on their permanent record. That includes nearly two million people currently incarcerated. With roughly 75% leaving state prisons convicted of a nonviolent crime (drug trafficking is the most common offense), employers who haven’t yet explored this potential labor pool are missing a tremendous opportunity and incredible payoffs.
“Companies that employ formerly incarcerated persons benefit from workers who are productive, loyal and often highly motivated to change their life,” said workforce demographics researcher Dr. David DeLong, president of Smart Workforce Strategies.
“But many organizations don’t attempt to tap into this talent pool because the images of ex‑offenders are unrealistically negative,” he explained. “Employers and their employees can be afraid of what they don’t know.”
To help dispel some of those perceptions, DeLong published his latest book, “Hidden Talent: How to Employ Refugees, the Formerly Incarcerated, and People with Disabilities,” in January. In it, he shares company success stories, lessons learned and profiles of marginalized individuals who have benefitted from innovative hiring programs. Among the examples are two supply chain organizations employing people with criminal records.
Misperceptions About Formerly Incarcerated Persons
When starting what’s often called a “second‑chance” or “felon‑friendly” hiring program, it’s important to introduce the concept methodically. This gives leaders and employees time to process the idea, DeLong advised.
“Some employees will worry that they might be working next to someone who committed a serious crime. But companies choose what types of criminal records are acceptable for employment,” he said. “They can decide they won’t hire people who have convictions for certain crimes, such as sex offenders, for example.”
DeLong emphasized that companies need to clearly communicate the details of a second‑chance hiring program, then give personnel time to warm up to the idea. “Then, challenge people’s assumptions and talk through those fears, because we all have biases.”
Best Practices for Successful Second‑Chance Hiring
First, DeLong recommended investigating whether Ban the Box laws apply to the company’s location. In place in many states and cities in the U.S., these laws prohibit employers from asking about criminal history on a job application.
“Often, the laws require employers to wait until after extending a conditional job offer to inquire about any criminal convictions,” he said. “The goal is to give people with criminal records a chance to explain their situation and be considered for jobs based on their qualifications.”
Companies also need to prepare to meet the needs of second‑chance hires both on the job and outside of work. Like most new hires, DeLong estimated a significant number of formerly incarcerated individuals need some amount of on‑the‑job training to be successful in entry‑level positions.
“The majority also need some degree of support outside of work,” he explained. “Things like drug counseling, financial literacy, housing assistance and transportation. Employers need to put a process in place to diagnose what resources a new hire will need to stay on the job. Often there are support agencies they can partner with to provide those.”
In‑Prison Training Programs Key Component of Hiring Success
If a company has operations close to a prison, leadership should consider partnering with the institution when developing a second‑chance hiring program, advised Michael Burress. A career and vocational education specialist, Burress developed and implemented inmate training programs for the Federal Bureau of Prisons. He noted that federal and state prisons increasingly provide training and education to inmates.
“The Bureau recognized that it was important to help inmates develop skills that they could use to get jobs upon release that paid living wages. In our research, we found that industrial maintenance technicians were in demand and well paid in both supply chain and manufacturing industries,” he recalled.
Burress and his team formed relationships with companies in supply chain and manufacturing. They invited executives to join an advisory board to help guide the new training program’s curriculum, ensuring inmates learned in‑demand skills the companies needed.
Burress also worked with MHI to create an educational pathway in Illinois’ Federal Corrections Institutions. After building foundational knowledge with MHI’s supply chain and material handling curriculum, inmates worked to earn certifications from the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council (MSSC) and APICS.
“Our program offered training apprenticeships in commercial electrical, machinist, welding and other trades that supported the prison facilities. Additionally, we had an agreement with the local community college to further develop students by earning an associate’s degree in business management,” he explained. “We also created computer labs to support training and development.”
Burress estimated that inmates earned more than 2,000 certifications through the program at a 98% first‑time pass rate.
“Outcomes included students getting employment upon release in both manufacturing and supply chain at all levels—from pickers, planners and buyers to operators and industrial maintenance technicians,” he noted. “We liked to call our program ‘from no GED to PhD.’ In fact, we’ve had many students who went on to become lawyers, entrepreneurs and PhDs.”