In June, the U.S. Department of Labor hosted a discussion on workforce development and employment strategies for people with criminal records. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, Attorney General Eric Holder, and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Chair Jacqueline Berrien spoke at the Washington, D.C. event, along with a panel of employers, service providers, academics, policy advocates and formerly incarcerated individuals.
The roundtable was the most recent activity supported by the Reentry Council, an interagency group of cabinet-level officials led by Attorney General Holder and Secretary Solis. In their opening remarks, both reiterated a commitment to prisoner reentry issues.
Two reentry toolkits were unveiled at the discussion. Created by the Fortune Society and John Jay College of Criminal Justice with funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the toolkits provide practical guidance for reentry agencies and information for employers aiming to develop a competent, culturally diverse workforce.