Working for a Second Chance

I attend the Vermont Interfaith Action (VIA) Panel: "Working for a Second Chance," last night, and received yet another incredible educational opportunity. The mission of the panel was to educate the community on how individuals and businesses might foster support more job opportunities for those who need a second chance; i.e., incarcerated/drug-addicted individuals. Data has consistently revealed joblessness as the leading predictor of recidivism for post-incarcerated individuals.

A lot of my education, thus far, has been around providing stable social support for the women in our program. We had not focused on the challenges of employment; however, I have overheard a handful of our mentees share their unemployed status and mentors comment on their mentees' challenges to secure a job.

The panel included one women who had been incarcerated for drug addiction; she shared the incredible challenges she faced while trying to secure a stable job. There were also two men who co-own Green Mountain Harley; they discussed their experience working to open their doors to second-chance individuals. The fourth and final panelist was a gentleman who serves as a consultant for businesses and job-seeking individuals to help ensure successful placements in the community. The panel also included high-ranking representatives from the DOL and DOC. The DOC, alone, had four individuals available to comment on their role. The outpouring of support from different angles to support second-chance employment was impressive and highly educational for me.

The two men from Green Mountain Harley were incredible. I found myself wanting them in every department at the University, sharing their leadership philosophy. Inspiring comments they made included,

• "You hire the attitude, and then teach the skills."
• "Your team makes the final hiring decisions, not management. Otherwise, it will never work."
• They discussed team interviews and team engagement projects with a prospective employee, and then handing over the final decision making to the team. 
• They touched on how it is essential to be authentic and human with your colleagues, facilitating discussion circles around the greatest thing you've overcome in your life to prompt very real and raw conversation. "You spend a lot of time with the people at work... they're your family. You need to feel very real and very supported at your work."

Jo shared her recollection of a closely aligning philosophy: the Fish! Philosophy, which I shockingly hadn't yet encountered in my leadership studies yet. Fish! really hit home as to why I struggle in my current work environment. I need a place where people play, have fun and real interactions, and are working to make someone's day - inevitably, this ends up making their own day! Attitude is really what someone brings to the workplace. If someone is highly motivated and clicks with the group, their background shouldn't matter. 

I appreciated the idea of trial experiences with the team, and it helped me realize the importance of the probationary period at UVM and wonder if it is being applied as it should, or whether the purpose behind this probationary period has been lost in some departments after a long history of simply being part of the process. I've never been put through any team building exercises and diverse experiences to determine if a person is a good fit; it's beneficial for both the individual and the team.

The panelist who had been incarcerated and the consultant really hit home in their shared statements regarding second-chance-individuals: their experiences have made them new people, often better, more self-aware and insightful than the average applicant.  If society/businesses/job applications creates a space where people are defined by their past mistakes and cannot be provided space to show how they are changed and better from them, how will those people ever get a chance to prove themselves to society and, more importantly, to themselves and their loved ones?

Mercy Connections was called to stand at the end of the presentation as one of the groups involved in promoting Second Chances: Jo, Kelly, Mary Beth, and I were all in the audience of about 25/30 people. A day or two after the panel, Dolly sent us a personal message thanking us for providing such a strong representation of the organization at the event - how important and wonderful it was to show how engaged Mercy was in efforts to support post-incarcerated individuals. Such power in simply showing up... 

This was a truly unique, educational, and special opportunity.