Domestic
PUBLIUS
EVERYONE DESERVES A SECOND CHANCE The Economic Impact of Mass Incarceration and the Hope Presented Poverty is an issue of which all people are aware. Mass incarceration is another major issue present in the United States, but it typically does not get nearly as much attention. However, these two issues are closely linked, and any effort to alleviate poverty must consider mass incarceration. Michael Tanner is an economic and public policy researcher and author with the Cato Institute in Washington D.C. In 2018, Tanner released The Inclusive Economy: How to Bring Wealth to America’s Poor. The book outlines opposing theories about the factors that cause poverty, and Tanner provides his own possible solutions to those factors. The very first factor that Tanner highlights is mass incarceration. He begins by presenting some statistics that show the extent of the problem of mass incarceration: “At any given time, roughly 2.2 million Americans are in jail or prison, with another 4.7 million on probation or parole, a population that has grown substantially over the past 30 years.” This extremely high rate of imprisonment leads to numerous issues including increased poverty. Tanner writes that “[a] study by scholars at Villanova University concluded that mass incarceration has increased the U.S. poverty rate by an estimated 20 percent.” This impact on poverty rates stems primarily from the difficulties that people with a criminal record face when trying to find employment. When companies discover that an applicant has a criminal record, many will not even consider that person for the position. According to Tanner, “[r]ecent job application experiments find that applicants with criminal records were 50 percent less likely to receive an interview request
or job offer, relative to otherwise identical applicants with no criminal record.” People who have been arrested in the past, especially those who have been convicted of a felony, are deemed “hard-to-hire” candidates. However, a couple of companies right here in Cincinnati have begun to debunk this claim by committing to provide work for past convicts, also known as second chance employment. One of those companies is Nehemiah Manufacturing. This small consumer packaged goods company was founded in 2009 by Dan Meyer and Richard Palmer with the specific purpose of providing opportunities for so-called hard-to-hire people in the West End and Over-the-Rhine neighborhoods of Cincinnati. Nehemiah’s mission is a simple, three-part statement: “build brands, create jobs, change lives.” Over the last eleven years, Nehemiah has been able to expand with the help of Procter & Gamble. The Fortune 500 company “awarded Nehemiah the license to manage the Pampers Kandoo line of toddler products in 2009, helping launch our growth.” With the support of P&G and other “local social service agencies who serve individuals with criminal records, gaps in employment, and other barriers to finding meaningful work,” Nehemiah has made a significant impact in the lives of many second-chance employees. According to Dan Meyer, Nehemiah currently employs 180 individuals of which 130 are second chance employees. However, Meyer and Palmer have found that there is still even more demand for second chance opportunities. As a result, the two men partnered with other businesses once again in 2015 to create the Beacon of Hope Business Alliance.
Since an average of “2,500 people return to Hamilton County from incarceration” every year, Beacon of Hope’s ultimate goal is to create an additional 2,500 jobs each year in order to match the number of people searching for second chance employment. So far, Nehemiah and Beacon of Hope have provided much-needed opportunities for hundreds of Cincinnatians and have done a tremendous job of helping to address some of Michael Tanner’s concerns about the effect of mass incarceration on poverty. Still, Tanner worries that many people with a criminal record who are able to find employment will not earn enough money to comfortably support themselves and their families. Tanner attributes this issue to the fact that “[t]he people most likely to go to prison are disproportionately likely to experience other markers of socioeconomic disadvantage, including low educational attainment [and] weak attachment to the workforce.” Tanner also writes that a “criminal record also limits future educational opportunities.” The issue of a lack of educational opportunities is being addressed by another local establishment, Venice on Vine in Over-the-Rhine. “Venice on Vine is a pre-employment training & job placement program, for individuals with barriers to employment, that utilizes both a traditional pizzeria and a commercial catering kitchen as unique classrooms.” In addition to providing employment opportunities for past convicts and other impoverished people, Venice on Vine stresses education. The pizza and catering restaurant has its roots in the non-profit organization Power Inspires Progress (PIP). PIP began in 1986 under the guidance of Sr. Judy Tensing of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur and Sr. Barbara Wheeler, a Dominican Sister of Hope. For the last thirty-four years, PIP has sponsored many efforts to provide employment and training to impoverished people.
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