Economic Mobility

Access to meaningful employment is a key component in reducing recidivism and creates pathways to increased economic mobility. Yet people with juvenile and criminal records—especially Black people—suffer from an alarmingly high and stubborn unemployment rate. Our team works with states and local communities to reduce structural barriers and expand access to quality career technical education, training programs, and other workforce supports that increase employment opportunities for people with records.

Economic Mobility

Fair Chance Licensing Project: States Expand Access to In-Demand Jobs

Corrections agencies are grappling with a unique combination of public safety challenges, including stubborn rates of recidivism and…

Expanding Access to Health Care Jobs for Workers with Criminal Histories

This brief examines the employment challenges faced by the health care sector…

Expanding Access to Public Employment for People with Criminal Records

This brief explores how jurisdictions can leverage existing models and national best…

Beyond Confidentiality: Modernizing Criminal Record Clearance Policies in the Digital Age

This brief discusses the strategies states have developed to ensure that criminal…

Limiting Employer Liability: Addressing the Perceived Risks of Hiring Workers with Criminal Histories

This brief examines the legislative action that states have taken to limit…

Fair Chance Licensing Project: States Expand Access to In-Demand Jobs

Nearly one in four jobs in the U.S. require a government-issued license.…

Reducing Structural Barriers to School and Work for People with Juvenile Records

After the Sentence, More Consequences: A National Report of Barriers to Work

Removing Structural Barriers to Employment: A Playbook for Every State

Improving Equity and Access to High-Quality CTE for Youth and Young Adults in the Justice System

A new brief from Advance CTE and the CSG Justice Center outlines…

Laying the Groundwork

Continued education is proven to have a notable impact on reducing recidivism.…

Creating Systemwide Change to Promote Recidivism-Reduction and Employment Readiness

Integrated Reentry & Employment Strategies: Pilot Project Process Evaluation Report

On Track: How Well Are States Preparing Youth in the Juvenile Justice System for Employment?

News & Analysis

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State-by-State Analysis Finds that Fair Chance Licensing Reforms Can Address Worker Shortages

November 10, 2021

As states struggle with labor shortages, the Fair Chance Licensing Project provides…

Oregon Launches New Initiative to Reduce Barriers for People with Criminal and Juvenile Records

October 5, 2021

Oregon state leaders launched a new initiative in late August to improve…

It’s Time to Revisit Many of the Work Barriers People with Criminal Records Face

April 26, 2021

COVID-19 has left state and federal policymakers with painfully long to-do lists.…

How States Can Reduce Structural Barriers to School and Work for People with Juvenile Records

March 16, 2021

A first-of-its-kind analysis from the CSG Justice Center examines education- and employment-related…

How States Can Dismantle Employment Barriers for People with Criminal Records

February 2, 2021

A new report from the CSG Justice Center highlights the nearly 30,000…

Advancing Justice in a Year of Crisis: Our 2020 Annual Report

December 23, 2020

State and local justice systems faced unprecedented challenges in 2020. We look…

Thaddeus Watts Has “Been Through the Storm.” Workforce Training Helped Him Weather It.

October 26, 2020

Few receive training in Kansas prisons. Thaddeus Watts is one of the…

Officials Reduce Barriers to COVID-19 Loans for People with Records

June 15, 2020

Federal officials on Friday agreed to ease restrictions that blocked some people…

Chidi Umez-Rowley

Former Deputy Program Director, Corrections and Reentry

Chidi Umez provided direction and support for projects that reduce policy barriers to economic opportunity for people with criminal records. Projects in this portfolio addressed the impact of a criminal record on job participation, occupational licensing, and business engagement. Prior

Joshua Gaines

Deputy Program Director, Corrections and Reentry

Josh Gaines focuses on issues involving the collateral consequences of criminal conviction, barriers to work, and relief from the long-term impacts of a criminal record. In addition to providing direct technical assistance to state leaders and other stakeholders working to

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safely expand opportunities for workers with criminal histories, he also oversees the CSG Justice Center's Fair Chance Occupational Licensing Project and the National Reentry Resource Center's Clean Slate Clearinghouse and National Inventory of Collateral Consequences of Conviction. Josh received his BA from North Carolina State University and his JD from the Washington College of Law at American University.

Economic Mobility

Fair Chance Licensing Project: States Expand Access to In-Demand Jobs

Resources

Key Staff