Employment is a key piece of the re-entry puzzle.  Ex-offenders need steady jobs to help them succeed in the community.  But finding work isn't always easy for people with criminal records.  They may be ineligible for some jobs or have a difficult time shedding certain stigmas.  The National H.I.R.E. (Helping Individuals with Criminal Records Re-enter Through Employment) Network understands these disadvantages and strives to supply corrections agencies, lawmakers and employers with information and resources relating to ex-offender employment.

"We serve as a national clearinghouse for information related to the employment of people with criminal records, both while folks are inside prison as well as through to their release into the community" said Debbie Mukamal, Director of the H.I.R.E. Network.  

The two and half year old agency is a project of the New York-based Legal Action Center, which has been studying these issues for decades.  The center's work in this area gave the H.I.R.E. Network a head start on research in re-entry, which has become a hot topic across the country in recent years, according to Mukamal. 

"The timing has just been absolutely incredible to be working on this topic," Mukamal said.  "There's a national conversation and a local conversation."

Roadblocks to Re-entry

To feed that conversation, the H.I.R.E. Network recently published a report mapping out the roadblocks to re-entry for people with criminal records.  In it, each state is ranked according to how difficult it is for ex-offenders to re-integrate into communities there and obtain employment.

States like New York, Hawaii and California had the fewest roadblocks to re-entry in the areas the Network examined, which include employment, public assistance and food stamps, access to criminal records, voting, public housing, adoptive and foster parenting, and drivers' licenses.  Georgia, South Carolina and Colorado landed at the bottom of the list.

These "report card" grades garnered a lot of media attention and caught the eyes of some state policymakers, according to Mukamal.  In response to the report, officials in Texas, which ranked 35th, are now interested in reevaluating some of their laws to make sure that they are reasonable and fair to ex-offenders and promote public safety as well, she said.

"We are very encouraged that the report is meeting one of the goals that we set for it," Mukamal said.  "I get a call almost on a weekly basis from a governor's office in a particular state that wants clarification on the information in the report.  That's very encouraging."

Aside from Texas, the H.I.R.E. Network has been working with states like Delaware and Illinois to help them improve or redefine their policies and practices surrounding re-entry.  Soon, the agency will begin working with Virginia and Maryland, too.

"Some of the grounding principles that we believe should guide public policy in this area are that an individual's criminal history should be considered on a case-by-case basis when an employer, housing agency [or] any other decision-maker is considering the relevance of someone's criminal record," Mukamal said.  "An arrest that did not lead to a conviction should never be a relevant factor in deciding whether or not to H.I.R.E. someone."

Spreading the Word About Re-entry Issues

In its quest to help spread information about laws and practices regarding the employment of people with criminal records, the H.I.R.E. Network works alongside various entities - corrections departments, workforce development agencies, lawmakers and employers - to improve their understanding of re-entry issues and help them form policies that will both benefit re-entry and public safety.

"I think that state policymakers are hungry for the information that we've made available in the report and want to use it in a very productive way to make sure that state and local policies are really doing what they're supposed to do," Mukamal said. 

Aside from providing information about laws, the H.I.R.E. Network serves as a vehicle for agencies to share information with each other about what they are doing to improve re-entry practices.

"We provide information about best practices for working with this population," Mukamal said.  "We try to share information about promising collaborations that are happening around the country between corrections and the workforce development community."

Lifting Stigmas

While sharing information with lawmakers and agencies is an important part of the H.I.R.E. Network's mission, it has also taken on the task of changing society's perceptions of people with criminal records. 

While some people might not feel comfortable working with ex-offenders, many do work alongside individuals with criminal records every day without even realizing it, Mukamal pointed out.

Between 25 and 30 percent of adults in the United States has been arrested or convicted of a crime, leaving one in four Americans with a criminal record, according to Mukamal.

"[There's] a whole lot of people [with criminal records] that are working in different professions and we need to figure out the best way to lift [any] stigmas," Mukamal said.  "That's something we're really trying to work on this coming year and we've been really trying to think creatively about how you mainstream this population."
 
Many different agencies, not just corrections, are joining with the H.I.R.E. Network to ensure that ex-offenders succeed in society, Mukamal said.

"In some places its corrections that's driving change and in some places it's really the workforce development that's driving change," Mukamal said.  "We're really lucky to be able to work with a really diverse and broad set of stakeholders."

Helping States Help Themselves

In the future, the H.I.R.E. Network will continue to reach out to various agencies, through its monthly newsletter, its website and word of mouth, to help them understand re-entry issues and revamp their policies and processes.  So far, the Network has been successful in doing this, Mukamal said.

"We're thrilled with the progress that we've been able to make and the recognition the H.I.R.E. Network is receiving in the correctional and workforce development environment," Mukamal said.

Now, it's up to the states to carry the H.I.R.E. Network's mission through, according to Gerald Hinzman, District Director for the Iowa Department of Correctional Services/6th District.

"I think it's going to be up to individuals within each state to champion this," said Hinzman, who is also a member of the H.I.R.E. Network's Advisory Board.  "The H.I.R.E. Network has laid the groundwork and other people now have to pick up the challenge and become champions for this."

Resources:

To learn more about the H.I.R.E. Network, go to www.hirenetwork.org