Working on the outside, Jodi Anderson Jr., a formerly incarcerated person, has created an online platform to help persons with criminal records obtain employment.
Like many of persons with criminal records, Anderson had trouble finding work because of his background.
“They’d run a background check and say, ‘Hey, you didn’t tell me you were incarcerated when you were a teenager, and that you just got out three years ago. We’re not taking that risk,’” Anderson said.
Anderson co-created Restorative Records, a website on which returning citizens may upload for potential employers their criminal histories, educational backgrounds, and their rehabilitation efforts.
Arrested and incarcerated as a teenager, Anderson did not let his setback hinder his growth. He earned many certifications while completing self-help programs. He even received a degree from Stanford University.
He eventually found a job, but wanted to make the employment process easier for returning citizens.
Restorative Records has caught the attention of some notable institutions, including Cornell University and the State University of New York. Both schools provided grants to Anderson’s cause, enabling the program’s implementation across the schools’ campuses.
“This pilot program aligns with our vision of being renowned for the way we value the people and highlight the skills and unique experiences of nontraditional talent, all while assisting us in addressing our hiring needs,” said Donna Lynch-Cunningham, the dean of Human Resources at Cornell University.
Anderson told the Cornell Chronicle that the country has a labor shortage and that employers would miss out on qualified applicants simply because of the system’s structure. Tapping into this qualified applicant pool would have benefits for perspective employers.
The White House released a report in 2022 that stated that of more than 70 million Americans who have a criminal record, 75% remained unemployed more than a year after their release from jails or prisons.
The report further revealed that employees with criminal records tended to work more efficiently, would more likely receive promotions, and typically incurred fewer work-related infractions than employees without a criminal record.“We’re trying to address the biases that exist in hiring flows,” Anderson told the Cornell Chronicle. “The bias against formerly incarcerated people isn’t intentional; I just think it’s built into the system.”
