April is Second Chance month in Georgia, and around the country. One in three Americans – and approximately forty percent of adults in Georgia – have an arrest or conviction record, creating significant barriers to employment for millions of working-age adults. These individuals are qualified and eager to work, forming a ready pool of candidates that companies across the country could be tapping to fill job openings, including in Georgia. Yet, this population faces obstacles to securing that good job. Keeping this workforce waiting on the sidelines could cost the U.S. economy nearly $87 billion annually.
Recognizing the importance of lowering barriers to opportunity, JPMorganChase is working with the Atlanta Hawks to support the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) Atlanta, an organization dedicated to supporting justice-impacted Georgians access opportunities to achieve career and economic mobility. For every Second Chance point scored by the Hawks at home games on April 1, 5 and 6, JPMorganChase will make a donation to support Second Chances.
Organizations like CEO Atlanta are crucial to the work JPMorganChase does to help drive impact in the communities it serves and support access to more career opportunities to justice-impacted individuals.
What does Second Chances mean to your organization?
Nan Gibson, JPMorganChase PolicyCenter: We believe business has an important role to play in helping more people share in the benefits of economic growth. By reducing barriers to employment for those with criminal records, second chance initiatives can help more people enter the labor market and contribute to the economy and society in a positive way.
Further, the burden of keeping this population unemployed or underemployed is borne by individuals, communities, and businesses – and costs the U.S. economy nearly $87 billion annually. Removing barriers to a second chance for this population is good for communities, and for businesses, including those here in Georgia.
Nikki Holliday, Site Director, CEO Atlanta: We believe that rebuilding a life often requires more than just a second chance – it requires fair chances. Our vision is that anyone with a criminal history who wants to work has the preparation and support needed to secure and sustain employment. By equipping justice-impacted job seekers with the tools and opportunities they need to thrive, we’re committed to advancing economic mobility and breaking cycles of incarceration and poverty.
What is the importance of partnerships to creating second chance opportunities?
Gibson: We’re committed to creating impact in the communities we serve, and lowering barriers to opportunity for justice-involved individuals. We know that in order to drive long-lasting impact, we need to work with organizations across the public and private sectors, and we’re forging relationships with local public officials, community hiring and nonprofit organizations, as well as other industry leaders working on this issue.
Holliday: Strong partnerships are essential to expanding fair chance opportunities, as they bring together diverse resources, expertise and networks. By taking a wraparound service approach, these collaborations improve the reintegration success of justice-impacted individuals – helping them secure employment, rebuild their lives, and contribute meaningfully to their communities.
How do you see the impact of your work in the communities you serve and beyond?
Gibson: Roughly 10% of JPMorganChase’s new hires in the U.S. over the past three years are individuals with an arrest or criminal record – nearly 3,000 people in 2024. We’ve been able to connect people to opportunity through careers at our own firm, but we’re also working to ensure that people can find opportunity at other employers as well. Through our pro-bono expungement clinics, held at Chase Community Center branches across the country, we’ve helped hundreds of residents begin the expungement process.
We’re also supporting common-sense policy reforms at the federal and state levels, such as Clean Slate laws, which would automate the process of clearing eligible records and make it easier for people to begin working towards a Second Chance. With our support, eight states have passed Clean Slate laws. We’ve been proud to help create pathways to careers for more Americans – which will have important consequences for communities and the economy.
Holliday: Supporting people with records and formerly incarcerated individuals through employment opportunities profoundly impacts communities, reducing recidivism, improving economic stability, and strengthening local economies. Stable jobs provide financial security, a sense of purpose and a path to self-sufficiency, leading to lower crime rates and safer neighborhoods.
